Chapter Summaries

Benjamin reviewed the Expeditionary Force’s postwar report, discovering his reward and learning why many trapped wizards chose not to return. Viola revealed that the Level 9 Sage who created Justice had died peacefully of old age in the world he built, leaving Benjamin and Mentor Clark silent.

• Viola complained to Benjamin that the expedition had left her deeply in debt, and Mentor Clark criticized her for rushing ahead without building her knowledge.
• Benjamin checked the Expeditionary Force’s report and found he had received 1,000,000 units of Advanced Military Merit for his intelligence contribution.
• Benjamin read that only three trapped personnel were confirmed killed, while others had voluntarily stayed in the transformed plane; Viola explained the Wizard Civilization’s pragmatic view of their choice.
• Benjamin found that the Enlightenment Epoch civilization had vanished and asked Viola what had happened to the Sage who created Justice.
• Viola said the Level 9 Sage had died of old age after living as an ordinary mortal in Justice without using his powers, and Mentor Clark returned silently to his experiment.

After returning to the Purgatory Sulfur Plane, Benjamin discovered that the Incense Divinity Path had begun producing Mortal Aura and spent fifty years studying to prepare for his likely advancement to Level 4. His junior fellow student Angelo then asked him to improve the aptitude of his unborn child, while Viola’s attempt to pry into Angelo’s personal life was cut short by Clark.

• Benjamin returned to the Purgatory Sulfur Plane, confirmed that the Incense Divinity Path was operating, and detected its first trace of Mortal Aura.
• Benjamin planned to refine the path while preparing to reach Level 4, then spent fifty years studying spatial theory and other knowledge.
• Angelo visited Benjamin and asked him to improve the aptitude of the baby still in the womb.
• Benjamin offered to raise the embryo’s elemental affinity to the Level 10 standard for ten million Low-Level Military Merit, and Angelo accepted.
• Viola called Benjamin to ask about Angelo’s child, but Clark interrupted and pulled her away to her work.

Benjamin studied a mutated Spider-Snake and developed the dangerous new spell spatial distortion, then learned that the Black Giants were nearing a major change. He left his research to investigate as the first priests began to emerge among their people.

• Benjamin discovered that the Spider-Snake's crystal shell stabilized space while its inner membrane network produced spatial fluctuations.
• Benjamin imitated the membrane network and developed spatial distortion, a powerful spell that could tear apart targets but might expand uncontrollably and harm its caster.
• Benjamin began investigating how to stabilize spatial distortion using the crystal shell's properties.
• Benjamin sensed a disturbance from the Black Giants and summoned one of their commanders.
• The Black Giant commander reported that the race's growing population had caused a qualitative change in its gathered life essence, and its first priests were about to emerge.

Benjamin discovered that the Incense Divinity Path had shaped the Black Giants enough to produce a highly intelligent priest, who was born with Level 6 strength and an innate grasp of energy laws. He took the new Black Giant Priest to his laboratory to test whether he could become a capable research assistant.

• Benjamin realized that the Incense Divinity Path had influenced the Black Giants and prompted the emergence of a priest.
• Benjamin followed the Black Giant Chieftain to an Incubation Pool, where a special Black Giant was forming.
• Benjamin supplied the pool with energy, and the gathered Black Giants' faith helped bring the Black Giant Priest into being.
• The Black Giant Priest knelt before Benjamin, who discovered that he had Level 6 strength, exceptional intelligence, and innate mastery of energy laws.
• Benjamin brought the Black Giant Priest to his laboratory and gave him Knowledge Crystals to study.

Benjamin used his growing team of Black Giant Priests to advance his research and completed a new spatial magic system based on the Mutant Spider-Snake's carapace. After testing its abilities, he received a message from Mentor Clark and paused his exploration of ways to combine spatial wizardry with cultivation techniques.

• Black Giant Priests reported research breakthroughs and progress on the Incense Divinity Path while Benjamin finished his daily body tempering.
• Benjamin learned that the Mutant Spider-Snake Crystal Carapace Spatial Stabilization Element Model had been completed and developed [Spatial Stabilization] and [Phase Space].
• Benjamin tested [Phase Space] and modified it into [Spatial Slash], which cut through alloy targets and damaged a level-six defensive force field and armor plate.
• Benjamin assessed the limits of [Spatial Slash] and organized his spatial wizardry into a system for attack, defense, control, concealment, and mobility.
• Benjamin considered using Immortal Cultivation System spatial techniques to improve his wizardry, but Mentor Clark sent him a message.

Benjamin accepted Mentor Clark’s invitation to witness his Grand Mentor’s attempt to advance to Level 8, then reunited with Viola and Angelo at Noren Academy No. 13. He met Angelo’s Level 1 Wizard child, Cole, and watched Viola demonstrate her ability to transfer and store pain.

• Mentor Clark summoned Benjamin and told him to join Viola and Angelo in a month to observe his mentor’s attempt to advance to Level 8 Wizard.
• Benjamin arranged his research matters with the Black Giant Priests and traveled to Noren Academy No. 13 a month later.
• Benjamin arrived last and recognized Cole, Angelo’s child, as the person whose aptitude he had enhanced years before.
• Benjamin teased Viola about her unusually elegant appearance, and she kicked his shin before transferring the pain back to him with her law.
• Viola showed that she could remove, store, and inflict pain, while Benjamin praised her ability and Angelo and Cole watched in confusion.

Clark led Benjamin, Viola, Angelo, and Cole to Noren Workshop headquarters to visit Noren Academy No. 1. They arrived at the Academy and met Wizard Augusta and Rex.

• Clark appeared in the office and led the group through a long-range teleportation array to Noren Workshop headquarters.
• Benjamin saw that the headquarters plaza was full of wizards and observed the futuristic city of Noren Plane 1 as an energy force field carried the group toward the Academy.
• The group arrived at Noren Academy No. 1, where Benjamin recognized Rex waiting with another wizard.
• Clark introduced the blue-robed wizard as Wizard Augusta, and Benjamin, Viola, Angelo, and Cole respectfully greeted him.

Benjamin and his companions arrived at Noren Academy No. 1 for Clark’s advancement celebration, where Wizard Augusta introduced his disciple Rex. Rex showed the group around and settled them into rooms, while David missed the event because he was away at a planar war.

• Benjamin recognized the Augusta surname from a fellow apprentice from nearly a thousand years earlier.
• Wizard Augusta introduced Rex as his disciple to Clark, and Rex greeted Benjamin and the others.
• Rex led Benjamin, Viola, Angelo, and Cole through Noren Academy No. 1 and explained that his academic work had earned him local fame.
• Rex gave the group room tokens for accommodations with private laboratories.
• Rex told Benjamin that David could not attend the celebration because he was participating in a planar war, and Benjamin wished him well.

Benjamin spent three months studying in his headquarters quarters before Viola told him that Grand Mentor would meet with his descendants the next day. The meeting would prepare them for his future eighth-rank advancement and give them a chance to learn from it.

• Benjamin inspected his laboratory quarters and chose to spend his rest period studying rather than exploring headquarters.
• Benjamin secluded himself in the laboratory for three months, studying spatial theories and reviewing his research remotely.
• Viola visited Benjamin and marveled that he had not left his quarters or shown distress from his intense studies.
• Viola told Benjamin that Grand Mentor would meet with his descendants the next day as part of the preparations for his advancement.
• Viola sensed Benjamin's calm and left, privately wondering whether he would soon surpass her.

Benjamin and his companions visited Anton Buchanan, where Benjamin discovered the Grand Mentor was a childlike-looking wizard nearing Level 8. The gathering was interrupted by the arrival of Anton’s mentor, Wizard Noren, whom Benjamin already knew.

• Benjamin, Clark, Viola, Angelo, and Cole traveled to Anton Buchanan’s tower and entered the complete plane contained within it.
• Benjamin met Anton Buchanan in the palace and felt the immense power behind his childlike appearance.
• Benjamin recognized Wizard Dionysius Spencer among the second-generation wizards and realized he was likely the lineage’s eldest disciple.
• Powerful visitors arrived, and Anton personally went to greet their leader, his mentor.
• Benjamin recognized the arriving mentor as Wizard Noren, the creator of Noren Workshop and a Level 8 wizard he had met before.

Benjamin attended a gathering where Wizard Noren praised Clark’s lineage and asked Anton Buchanan about his preparations to reach Level 8. Anton said he would spend another month refining his spiritual power before attempting the breakthrough, and Noren and the other Level 7 Wizards agreed to wait and witness it.

• Wizard Noren arrived at the palace with several Level 7 Wizards, and Anton Buchanan welcomed them as fellow disciples.
• Benjamin realized his place in Noren Workshop’s lineage, then endured Wizard Noren’s scrutiny without showing his pressure.
• Wizard Noren praised Clark’s disciple descendants, drawing curious and envious attention toward Benjamin, Viola, Angelo, and the others.
• Benjamin, Viola, and Clark sheltered Angelo’s nervous child with their auras until he relaxed.
• Anton told Wizard Noren that he planned to spend another month refining his spiritual power before attempting to cross the Level 8 barrier, and Noren agreed to wait with the other Level 7 Wizards.

The wizards settled into a palace and filled their days with research, discussion, and friendly contests. When Wizard Noren announced a formal competition with a Substitute Doll as the prize, Benjamin abandoned his indifference and decided to compete.

• Benjamin studied in the grand hall while the wizards exchanged ideas and held informal contests.
• Viola teased Benjamin for avoiding the contests, and he explained that they were poor measures of real combat ability.
• Rex told Benjamin he wanted to spar with him, but Benjamin refused.
• Wizard Noren announced a formal competition and offered a Substitute Doll to the victor.
• Recognizing the prize that had once saved his life, Benjamin put away his crystal and resolved to compete.

Wizard Noren began the competition as a free-for-all across a vast area, and Benjamin entered Phase Space to prepare for the battle and hunt the strongest contestants. He found a Level 5 fire wizard near a lava river and moved to attack.

• Wizard Noren created a circular competition zone over a thousand kilometers wide and set rules that made the last contestant standing the winner.
• Benjamin hid in Phase Space and decided to target Level 5 Wizards quickly before they could prepare defenses or adapt to his forces.
• Benjamin released tens of thousands of Patrollers to search the area, then used potions and spells to strengthen and scout himself while concealed.
• Benjamin sensed a Patroller vanish and tracked the signal to a Level 5 fire wizard who had burned it to ashes beside a lava river.

Benjamin defeated a Level 5 Wizard with an unexpected [Spatial Slash] and vanished before the injured wizard could understand his spatial techniques. The defeated wizard returned to the palace, where the other wizards watched Benjamin’s match and marveled at his ability to control several demanding spatial wizardries at once.

• The Level 5 Wizard sensed spatial fluctuations, cast [Spatial Stasis], and prepared to counter Benjamin’s approach.
• Benjamin appeared behind the Level 5 Wizard, used [Spatial Slash] to pierce his defenses, and crushed his heart before the wizard conceded defeat.
• Benjamin vanished without leaving spatial traces, while the Level 5 Wizard healed his wounds and admitted he could not understand Benjamin’s methods.
• Wizard Noren teleported the defeated Level 5 Wizard back to the hall, where the gathered wizards watched light screens tracking the competition.
• A third-generation disciple explained the extraordinary difficulty of Benjamin’s simultaneous spatial wizardries, and Wizard Augusta asked Mentor Clark whether he could reproduce the feat.

Benjamin used the Five-Skandha Rainbow Mirror’s zero-delay connection to coordinate multiple spatial wizardries and hunt other Wizards. As the survivors began fighting openly and adapting to his tactics, he targeted an area where a Level 5 Wizard’s battle had just ended.

• A defeated Level 5 Wizard realized Benjamin had used several spatial wizardries and a false fluctuation to conceal his approach and land a surprise attack.
• Benjamin used Spatial Slash to eliminate another Wizard, while the Five-Skandha Rainbow Mirror shared calculations with his soul and enabled him to coordinate multiple techniques.
• Benjamin hunted Wizards across the battlefield with the Patroller, decoys, and spatial ambushes, eliminating several more, including two Level 5 Wizards.
• Benjamin noticed that the surviving Wizards had shifted to open clashes and would be scrutinizing his tactics.
• Benjamin estimated that fewer than five Level 5 Wizards remained and moved toward a fresh battlefield where powerful Level 5 energy still lingered.

Benjamin fought Helios and Morpheus with the Black Giants, using chained self-destructions to defeat the two Level 5 Wizards. Helios and Morpheus surrendered but were teleported away by Wizard Noren, and Benjamin called on the hidden observers to reveal themselves.

• Helios and Morpheus attacked Benjamin and the Black Giants while a Spatial Anchoring Forcefield blocked Benjamin’s spatial abilities.
• When the Great Light Manifestation stalled, Helios blasted the Black Giant Priests away, and Morpheus launched a lethal attack at Benjamin.
• A Black Giant Chieftain shielded Benjamin from Morpheus’s tentacles, then self-destructed and engulfed Morpheus and Helios in a destructive shockwave.
• Benjamin survived behind a Black Giant Priest and ordered the surviving Priests to charge the wounded wizards and self-destruct, then dug deep underground to evade the blasts.
• Benjamin found Helios and Morpheus badly injured, but Wizard Noren teleported them away after they surrendered.
• Benjamin surveyed the devastation and called for the hidden observers to come out.

Benjamin used his Spirit Energy Law to convert the surrounding elements into Spirit Energy, disrupting the allied wizards’ magic and forcing Rex and the others to surrender. Alone on the scorched battlefield, Benjamin declared victory before teleporting away.

• Rex revealed that he had united the remaining thirteen wizards and challenged Benjamin to test the gap between them, giving up his chance at the competition’s final victory.
• Benjamin revealed that the gathered wizards had made it easier for him to use his hidden advantage, then activated his Spirit Energy Law.
• The converted Spirit Energy disrupted Rex and the other wizards’ spellcasting, and Rex recognized Benjamin’s power as the Imaginary Element.
• Rex admitted defeat, and the other wizards surrendered or were knocked down before teleporting away.
• Benjamin stood alone on the battlefield, declared that he had won, and teleported out of the Duel Arena.

Benjamin admitted that his law was related to Imaginary Element, explaining why Fantasy Law was a difficult, unconventional path and how it helped disguise his Spirit Energy foundation. Wizard Noren awarded him the Substitute Doll after his victory, leaving Benjamin with a second life and the hall full of questions about his choice.

• Viola asked Benjamin whether his law was related to Imaginary Element, and he openly confirmed it.
• Benjamin considered how the Wizard World viewed Fantasy Law as difficult to create, weak in combat, and mainly useful for producing valuable materials.
• Benjamin recognized that presenting his Spirit Energy foundation as Fantasy Law could keep others from investigating the unusual Purgatory Sulfur Plane.
• Wizard Noren praised Benjamin for his ideas and potential, then handed him the Substitute Doll as his reward.
• Benjamin accepted the Substitute Doll with gratitude.

At the wizards’ gathering, Benjamin received Wizard Noren’s encouragement for pursuing the Fantasy Law, then faced a rush of researchers eager to buy his Imaginary Elements. Wizard Noren revealed that Fate itself had once been imagined into existence, leaving the crowd even more interested in Benjamin’s work.

• Wizard Noren gave Benjamin a Substitute Doll and urged him to pursue the Fantasy Law with resolve.
• Viola questioned Benjamin about his Imaginary Element’s properties, hoping to use it in new Magic Potions, and other wizards crowded around to offer to buy samples.
• Benjamin told Viola that his Imaginary Elements were still unstable and plain, but the wizards continued expressing interest in studying them.
• Grand Mentor Anton Buchanan questioned the value of the Fantasy Law, and Wizard Noren argued that it might have a higher potential than people assumed.
• Wizard Noren revealed that Fate had once been imagined into existence, astonishing the wizards and increasing their interest in Benjamin’s Imaginary Elements.
• Viola asked whether Benjamin’s Imaginary Element was connected to Fate, but Benjamin denied it and said it was merely versatile.

Benjamin sold Spirit Energy disguised as “Imaginary Elements” to Wizards eager to study its unusual effects, while Mentor Clark relayed Grand Mentor Noren’s theories about Benjamin’s Fantasy Law. The hall’s research abruptly stopped when Grand Mentor Anton Buchanan began advancing.

• Rex repeatedly bought Benjamin’s “Imaginary Elements” for experiments, despite struggling to study them as a Level 3 Wizard.
• Viola ordered three high-concentration batches after finding that the substance nourished biological tissue and might improve magic plants.
• Mentor Clark transferred 10,000 high-level Military Merit and explained that Grand Mentor Noren saw potential in Benjamin’s “Imaginary Elements” and connected them to the Grand Unification Theory.
• Benjamin agreed to provide more samples later, while privately worrying that Noren had nearly uncovered Spirit Energy’s true nature.
• A powerful rhythm swept through the hall, and the Wizards realized Grand Mentor Anton Buchanan was beginning his advancement.