Translator: AnubisTL
Afterward, the investigation conducted by the two at the frontline seemed to have hit an invisible wall.
Although they had confirmed the intricate ties between the "alien threat" and the behind-the-scenes existence, and discovered that the hostile race had been deliberately engineered, the deeper motives and the core logic of the "system" remained hidden behind a veil of mist.
Once they realized that no major breakthrough could be achieved in the short term, Jieming and Rex decided to temporarily withdraw from this war-torn star sector.
With the investigation paused, they suddenly found themselves with nothing to do.
Jieming accepted Rex's invitation to accompany him back to his "birthplace" in this world—a prosperous planet renowned for its precision manufacturing and musical arts.
When the spaceship arrived at the air harbor, two people were already waiting for them at the exit.
Seeing them, a rare smile appeared on Rex's face.
"I never thought you'd actually be willing to come back!" one of them said with a laugh. "Care to introduce us?"
"I'll do the honors," Rex said to Jieming. "These two are my 'childhood friends' here..."
"And, of course, they are wizards."
These words were not spoken aloud by Rex, but instead echoed directly within Jieming's earpiece.
To facilitate their communication, Rex had provided Jieming with an earpiece before they met.
As a "weaver of laws," Rex could convert his thoughts into sound, allowing him to communicate directly with Jieming without speaking aloud. This method was perfect for situations where speaking openly was inappropriate—like this one.
Upon hearing the voice in his ear, Jieming instinctively sized up the two newcomers.
One of them wore a vibrantly colored, avant-garde leather jacket. His hair was dyed a brilliant, electric blue, and his face bore a wild, rebellious grin. He radiated the powerful aura of a rock star.
Rex paused, then spoke aloud, his tone tinged with a hint of irony. "This is Calvin. He's a rock superstar, the lead singer of 'Furious Sonic,' famous across this entire star system."
Inside Jieming's ear, Rex's voice continued via the earpiece: "'The Silent One' Calvin. Back at the academy, he was a genius of the Necromancy Department. He could go a whole day without saying a word, communicating only with his skeleton soldiers. Now... well, he's certainly changed."
Calvin swayed his head, grinning as he nodded to Jieming. He then corrected Rex, "Wrong. I'm not just famous in this star system anymore. Next, I'm taking over the others!"
The other man appeared much more composed. He wore a well-fitted engineer's jacket, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. His knuckles were thick and calloused, bearing the marks of long-term precision work.
"This is Barton, a top-tier mecha modification master in the industry," Rex introduced. "Custom mechas tuned by him can see a performance boost of over fifteen percent. However, if you're looking to have a mecha customized, I can act as your intermediary."
Barton glanced at Jieming. "You flatter me. I still have much to learn."
"'Flesh Artisan' Barton," Rex continued, his voice now coming through the earpiece as he explained their backgrounds. "He used to specialize in the forbidden modification of bioweapons. Even his mentors were afraid to enter his laboratory."
After introducing the two men, Rex turned to them with a flawless smile. "And this is Jieming, a... truly exceptional scholar."
At Rex's words, Calvin and Barton both stared at Jieming in disbelief.
As friends who had grown up together in the same orphanage, they knew better than anyone how incredibly arrogant and proud their friend could be.
Even without any other introduction from Rex, and even if Jieming himself didn't seem to hold any special position, Rex's high praise alone was enough to make them take him seriously.
"Nice to meet you."
"It's a pleasure. I look forward to working with you."
"Oh, please, Mr. Rex, you flatter me..."
The two groups exchanged introductions and shared a few brief pleasantries.
Calvin threw an arm around Rex's shoulders, his voice booming with enthusiasm. "You bastard! You disappeared to another planet for all these years without a word. Now that you're back, we've got some serious catching up to do!"
Barton gave Jieming a nod, his gaze lingering on him for a moment before shifting to Rex. "How long are you staying this time?"
"I don't plan on leaving again anytime soon," Rex said with a smile.
"That's fantastic! Come on! Tonight's on me!"
To welcome Rex back and greet Jieming, Calvin swept his hand out in a grand gesture, inviting them to the most popular intergalactic-themed bar in the city.
Inside, the bar was a blur of neon lights and thrumming bass.
The moment Calvin leaped onto the stage and grabbed the microphone, the atmosphere in the venue ignited.
He bore no resemblance to the taciturn necromancer he had once been. Under the spotlights, he was a superstar, roaring and leaping, commanding the emotions of thousands.
He shone on stage, as if he were born to be there.
Rex and Jieming sat in a booth, watching the figure on stage, completely lost in the moment.
Over the deafening music, Rex leaned in close to Jieming and spoke softly, his voice tinged with a complex, almost bewildered emotion:
"Sometimes, watching them... I feel like this world might not be so bad after all."
Jieming raised an eyebrow and looked at him.
Rex's gaze remained fixed on the stage. "You know, Calvin and Barton—we're pretty close. We used to share our true feelings back at the academy."
"They actually... don't really like the life of a wizard. Calvin finds dealing with corpses and souls too cold and oppressive; deep down, he longs to inspire the living with his voice and passion. Barton loathes all that bloody flesh and twisted limbs; he dreams of creating his 'perfect machine' without any constraints..."
Rex trailed off, but Jieming already knew what he was going to say.
The gap between their dreams and reality was painfully obvious.
To advance to the third-tier wizard level, they had no choice.
People like Rex—those who both loved alchemy and mechanics and possessed the innate talent for both—were rare. Most wizards, in order to keep progressing, had to choose the one skill they were most talented in and study it deeply.
Rex paused, his voice growing even lower. "Look at them now... one has become a world-famous rock star, the other a highly respected top-tier mecha pilot. They can freely express their talents and passion..."
"The way they are now, they might be living more authentically and comfortably than they ever did in the wizard world."
Jieming caught the implication. "You're not planning to investigate any further?"
"I can't. We're running out of time."
Rex shook his head expressionlessly. "We have less than a year left before the command center's deadline. To be honest, given the current situation, I don't think we can find the truth in such a short time."
"No wonder you said you weren't planning to leave anytime soon..." Jieming understood. "So you're planning to evacuate directly after the eighth-tier wizard makes their move?"
Rex nodded silently.
Jieming had to admit that Rex's plan was actually more sound.
Since they had both awakened, they could wait for the eighth-tier wizard to intervene, gather as many recognized wizards as possible, and find a way to signal for rescue.
With the immense power of an eighth-tier wizard, even in a Cosmic-type Plane of this scale, they could be snatched out in an instant once the signal was sent.
This way, even if they did nothing else, the act of rescuing other wizards alone would earn them a massive amount of merit.
Moreover, as awakened individuals, they had spent these years frantically absorbing all kinds of knowledge.
In other words, even if they did nothing more from this point on, they would still come out ahead.
"There's not much time left. Seeing how they're acting, I think I can enjoy myself a bit too. After all, peaceful planes like this are rare... Maybe I can even fulfill my dream," Rex suddenly smiled.
Jieming listened quietly.
But as the last words left Rex's lips, a chilling thought slithered into his mind like a venomous snake, sending a shiver down his spine.
(End of the Chapter)
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