Upheaval and Crisis

Senior Sister Fei'er's expression, as though she wanted to swallow him whole and strip him to the bone, finally vanished without a trace when Mentor Moxidu and Senior Brother Zorro entered the laboratory.

Mentor Moxidu looked dreadful at the moment.

To outsiders, Moxidu still wore his usual cold and sinister expression, but as a disciple who had followed his mentor for several years, Saine noticed something different.

Senior Sister Fei'er had noticed Moxidu's abnormality even earlier than Saine.

As someone who could act spoiled toward Moxidu and even ask him for magic artifacts, Fei'er had never once seen her mentor in such a grave mood over all these years.

Senior Brother Zorro, who entered right behind them, was in much the same mood as Mentor Moxidu.

Fortunately, the mentor and senior brother's terrible moods were not because of Saine and Fei'er standing before them.

Looking at the two disciples who had long been waiting in the laboratory and had arranged all the experimental equipment, Moxidu let out a deep sigh before saying, "Saine, I've helped you request another half-year leave from your compulsory academy mission. During this period, devote yourself fully to study and meditation, and accumulate Mental Strength."

"Yes, Mentor," Saine replied respectfully.

After instructing Saine, Moxidu turned to Fei'er. "Fei'er, it's time you settled down as well. You've been stuck in the Advanced Apprentice realm for more than fifteen years now."

Mentor Moxidu's words immediately made both Saine and Fei'er turn serious.

"Crisis" and "upheaval"?

What exactly had happened?

While Saine was still pondering the meaning behind his mentor's words, Senior Sister Fei'er bluntly asked, "Mentor, is something about to happen?"

Fei'er's question, along with the confusion on Saine's face, made Moxidu's expression grow several shades darker.

After a long while, he finally said, "Originally, this matter was known only to Formal Black Wizards."

"But you are my disciples, so I'll make an exception and tell you." Moxidu spoke in a low voice.

"Starting three years ago, the Floating Ships we sent to the Surface World for raids began to be watched."

"Over the past three years, every time a floating ship set out, corresponding Formal Magicians and Formal Knights would oppose us."

"Last year, there were as many as six attackers. As a result, Headmaster Dadalong decided this year to suspend the Floating Ships' raids on the Surface World."

"This morning, Headmaster Dadalong gathered all sixteen Formal Black Wizards remaining at the Black Wizard Academy and announced that exploration of a Different World Time-Space would be moved forward."

"Because the notice came too suddenly, and because of the special nature of that Time-Space Rift... the first ones to enter and explore it, and help the academy plant Coordinate Generators on the other side of the Time-Space Rift, will be you Black Wizard Apprentices."

The sheer amount of information in Mentor Moxidu's words caught both Saine and Fei'er completely off guard.

Whether it was "Different World Exploration" or a "Time-Space Rift," both were still far too lofty for apprentices like them.

Even the Black Wizard Academy's Public Library contained almost nothing on these matters. Those Formal Black Wizards had likely concealed such information deliberately.

The Floating Ships' attacks mentioned by their mentor also indicated that an enemy lurking in the shadows was watching the Underground World and the academy.

Were they magicians from the Surface World? And those Formal Knights as well...

While Saine was still lowering his head to digest this information, senior sister Fei'er quickly asked, "Did the headmaster suddenly decide to begin exploration of that whatever-other-time-space early because of the attack on the floating ship?"

"If that's the case, why doesn't the academy simply wipe out those attackers? They're only six attackers..." Fei'er asked.

There were no small number of Black Magicians in the City of Mozhsuobula. According to Mentor Moxidu, the academy alone had sixteen resident Formal Black Wizards, not to mention the powerful headmaster and whatever other hidden forces they possessed.

Against the threat of merely six Formal Magicians and Knights from the Surface World, the City of Mozhsuobula should have had more than enough strength to strike back, or even eliminate them.

Moxidu showed no sign of ease in response to Fei'er's question.

"There are only six Formal Magicians and Knights on the surface. Who knows how many more are hiding in the dark?"

"The Wizard Continent is ultimately not a place where we Black Magicians can run rampant. The number of Holy Towers and Knights' Halls here..."

Moxidu shook his head. "Once this time-space exploration ends smoothly, I'll take you back to the Western Islands."

"Work hard. Although we'll need to borrow the strength of you apprentices this time, those who first enter that Time-Space Rift will surely be at least Quasi-Magicians."

"There'll be no experiment today. Go back and cultivate properly on your own. I have some matters to discuss with your Senior Brother." Moxidu waved his hand.

After leaving their mentor's laboratory, Saine and Fei'er had no mood left for that sort of thing.

After exchanging a few casual words, the two went their separate ways.

Fei'er headed straight for the Apprentice Dormitory, while Saine planned to visit the Public Library first.

He still had quite a few Academy Points. Although he had never seen many books in the Public Library concerning knowledge of Alien Planes before, perhaps he might find something if he searched carefully.

"A plane is an independent and complete world within the Star Realm."

"The most common are Demiplanes and Broken Planes. Rarer ones are Complete Rule Planes, capable of nurturing intelligent races and giving birth to civilizations."

"These Complete Rule Planes are further classified according to their power level and overall strength into..." Saine looked at the torn edge of the page at the end of the book and could not help letting out a soft sigh.

Putting away the ancient book titled Microscopic Elements, Saine looked toward another book, Marco Polo's Travels.

Marco Polo's Travels recorded the story of a Formal Magician's journey through an Alien Plane. The Alien Plane this magician had traveled through was called Centaur World.

Although Saine could not determine from the book exactly what level of world Centaur World was, he could tell from between the lines that Centaur World was an Alien Plane completely ruled by the Wizard World.

As a magician of the Wizard World, Marco Polo enjoyed high status and certain privileges while traveling through Centaur World.

During his travels, he had even engaged in deep exchanges with several female centaurs.

Microscopic Elements and Marco Polo's Travels were the only two Magic Books Saine had found in the academy's Public Library that recorded a certain amount of knowledge and information about Alien Planes.

Although some other Magic Books also contained scattered fragments about Alien Planes, most merely mentioned them in passing.

Their useful information did not even compare to these two books.

"Centaurs... what kind of creatures are they? From the descriptions in the book, they seem somewhat similar to Minotaurs?"

"But Minotaurs have bull heads and human bodies, while centaurs seem to have human heads and horse bodies?"

That night, lying on his bed, Saine could not help sinking into thought.

Lina had not returned today. The experiment on Master Feilunna's side had likely reached another critical stage.

Saine had no way to share the news he had just received from his mentor with Lina. Otherwise, with Lina's intelligence and knowledge, she would surely have been able to offer Saine some advice.