Chapter 363 Study Plan and Visit

The slow settling of elemental dust inside the stasis chamber marks the end of this joint experiment that has lasted for several years.

After assisting his mentor Clark in recording the last batch of data streams, Jemin politely took his leave and then activated the dimensional teleportation permission.

The familiar scent of sulfur, mixed with an indescribable sense of order, rushed towards him as Jemin returned to his infernal sulfur plane.

The moment his feet touched solid ground, he didn't rush to check the expansion of the Black Giant Legion. Instead, he immediately focused his mind on the earth beneath his feet, carefully sensing the vast system covering the plane—the Incense and Divine Path.

"Running... everything is normal."

A moment later, Jemin opened his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of relief.

His absence this time was not long, only a little over ten years.

For the management of a plane that often takes hundreds of years, it is just a fleeting moment.

The plane itself hasn't changed much, and the dark giant population continues to grow and reproduce by relying on the incubation pool, with its numbers steadily increasing, but without any qualitative leap.

At this point, the incense and sacred path has only completed the most basic main framework. Energy circulates stably and orderly within it, without collapse or conflict, which in itself has already met Jieming's minimum expectations.

As for the rest... given such a rudimentary main framework, Jemin hadn't expected to gain anything extra in such a short time.

However, just as he was about to pull his mind away, a faint yet unusually clear sensation startled him.

Concentrating his mind and carefully sensing, Jieming suddenly opened his eyes.

That's... the aura of the mortal world?

Although the quantity was not large, it was truly the genuine essence of the mortal world!

A glint flashed in Jemin's eyes, and he instantly understood.

Yes, the successful construction of the incense and deity framework is equivalent to "registering" him as a "civilized deity" in the concept of this area.

Although the main body of this "civilization" is a black giant with limited intelligence and a nearly blank cultural system, the way it connects with them has changed.

The relationship has shifted from a potential "raising and being raised" dynamic to one closer to "protection and faith".

It was the initial establishment of this relationship that broke down the invisible barrier that had previously prevented the emergence of worldly desires.

“Although the number of Black Giants is still not enough, and their culture is even less of a concern, resulting in a limited total amount of mortal energy generated… but this is a breakthrough from zero to one!” Jemin’s lips curled up slightly, unable to suppress the smile.

This was an unexpected delight, meaning that his first step in building the temple and its sacred shrine was not only the right one, but had also begun to yield substantial returns.

Even if the amount of worldly energy is not large for the time being, it proves that this path has unlimited potential.

He carefully collected these newly generated worldly energies and stored them properly within his body space.

After doing all this, Jemin took a deep breath, sat down in the chair in the lab, and began to calmly plan his next move.

The primary task, naturally, is to continue to improve the incense and religious practices.

The current framework only ensures the energy cycle; the real key—the system for creating and storing incense offerings—still needs to be built.

He roughly estimated that, given his current technical skills and energy levels, he would need two to three more rounds of such mandatory rest periods to complete the initial phase.

"However, now that we've started to produce mortal energy steadily, at least we have a guaranteed minimum return, so it's not a loss." Jemin remained calm.

Other wizards might have to worry about their lifespan before reaching level six, but Jemin didn't care.

With his Nascent Soul cultivation level, as long as he doesn't do anything reckless, he can live indefinitely.

But another pressing issue also came to mind.

He's probably close to becoming a fourth-level wizard.

Since successfully establishing the framework of the incense and deity path, his mastery of the "laws of spiritual energy" has soared, far exceeding the threshold of "one percent mastery of the laws" required to advance to the fourth level wizard.

Previously, he was "justly" erased in that dimension. Although he managed to escape by relying on a substitute doll, the incredibly real experience of death brought him not only a deep-seated fear, but also caused a violent shock to his mental sea.

This intense mental fluctuation acted as a special catalyst, greatly stimulating the growth of mental power.

Even while he was in Professor Clark's laboratory, Jemin could clearly feel that the upper limit of his mental strength was rapidly increasing.

At this rate, he has a high chance of advancing to a fourth-level wizard before the end of this four-hundred-year-long rest period.

The problem is... how long has he been a level three wizard?

To put it bluntly, he hasn't even warmed his seat at the level of a third-level wizard!

Let alone a fourth-level wizard, he hasn't even had time to systematically learn and accumulate much knowledge at the level of a third-level wizard.

"Knowledge is power"—this is not just an empty phrase in the wizarding world, but an ironclad rule.

Insufficient knowledge accumulation is most directly manifested in combat power that does not match the level, having the realm but lacking the corresponding means.

Just like Senior Viola, who was originally one of the best among the third-level wizards, but after she advanced to the sixth-level wizard, even now, she is probably the most mediocre among the sixth-level wizards.

"So, it means..." Jemin rubbed his temples, coming to a somewhat helpless conclusion, "The main task of this long-awaited break isn't to relax or deepen my research, but rather... to frantically catch up on my studies?"

No, calling it tutoring might not be accurate.

For many fields that require learning from scratch, this is practically a preview!

Having figured this out, Jemin sighed and resignedly turned on the magic network terminal he carried with him.

A pale blue screen unfolded before his eyes, reflecting his slightly solemn face.

"You only realize how little money you have when you need it, and the same goes for knowledge," he muttered to himself, before beginning to browse the lists within the Norren Workshop and the Star Ring Federation's shared knowledge base.

This time, he wasn't as frugal as before; instead, he was prepared to bleed money.

He was prepared to use not only the more than one billion low-level military merits in his account, but also the one million high-level military merits he had just obtained from the last interdimensional expedition.

After all, some core knowledge often represents cutting-edge achievements or unique technologies in a certain field, which are hard currency that are difficult to obtain with ordinary resources.

However, Jemin was not blinded by a sense of urgency and made blind purchases: "First, use low-level military merits to purchase basic and general knowledge modules to build a complete knowledge framework. Once enough foundation has been accumulated and specific weaknesses and research directions have been identified, then use high-level military merits to purchase core and key technologies or theories as needed."

After formulating the procurement strategy, Jieming spent some time organizing and archiving the knowledge fragments he had acquired piecemeal through "wool-gathering" during his conquest of the previous plane.

In truth, aside from the one million high-level military merits he gained in this interdimensional war, his only gain was this knowledge.

"Unfortunately, the time was too short, and the knowledge that could be collected was limited..."

As Jemin was organizing things, the other knowledge he had purchased also arrived.

After thinking for a moment, Jieming's gaze fell on the category of "Spatial Knowledge".

Whether it's traversing between planes, constructing more complex arrays of runes and magical artifacts in the future, or gaining a deeper understanding of the ultra-long-distance energy transmission of incense and deities, spatial knowledge is an indispensable foundation.

"It seems we still have to start by studying the space system."

Jemin made a decision, tapped his finger on the screen, and the first batch of knowledge packages about "Basic Theory of Spatial Folds" and "Introduction to Dimensional Anchor Point Positioning" were entered into his personal terminal.

Then, Jemin casually found a comfortable position, opened his terminal, and immersed himself in the knowledge before him.

...

...

In the blink of an eye, fifty years have passed.

For the past fifty years, Jemin has spent his time studying in an almost ascetic manner.

The vast amount of knowledge he purchased from the Magic Network terminal, ranging from spatial fundamentals to in-depth applications of elements, and various obscure theories derived from laws, was absorbed by him like a cramming machine.

This intensity of study even encroached on his time for perfecting the incense and religious practices.

The later construction of the incense and shrine was a little slower than expected, but Jemin felt it was a necessary investment.

Until this day, a communication request from the Magic Network terminal, flashing with an unusual priority, woke Jemin from a pile of spatial dimension calculation formulas.

He rubbed his dry eyes and glanced at the source of the communication—his junior, Ang.

“Ang?” Jemin was slightly surprised.

Both being students of Professor Clark, this junior, who joined later, didn't interact much with Jemin, meeting him only a handful of times. It could be said that the two were at most nodding acquaintances.

However, he had previously promised Viola that he would take care of Ang.

Considering their shared background, Jemin did not hesitate and replied to the message directly, granting him access to the Golden Garden Laboratory in plane Noren 147.

A teleportation array in a corner of the laboratory glowed, the space slightly distorted, and Ang's figure appeared.

Compared to the slightly naive young apprentice in Jemin's memory, the Ang in front of him looked much more mature, with a hint of weariness between his brows.

Although he looked somewhat tired, his aura was quite flamboyant, suggesting that he had undergone a complete transformation after experiencing several interdimensional wars.

When Ang saw Jemin, he couldn't help but be taken aback.

The senior student in front of me had messy hair piled on his head, and although his eyes were still sharp, they were bloodshot from lack of rest.

His standard alchemist robes were stained with traces of potions of unknown composition, and he exuded an aura of a research fanatic who would rather be ignored.

“Jie…Senior Jieming.” Ang came to his senses and quickly greeted him.

"Ang, it's been a long time."

Jemin realized his image problem, smiled indifferently, and ran his hand through his hair.

A glimmer of alchemical light flashed, and the disheveled hair instantly became neat and tidy, while the stains on the robe quietly disappeared.

"Have you eaten yet? If not, let's eat together." He said casually, as if the unkempt person from just now wasn't him at all.

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, two exquisitely designed silver mechanical puppets silently slid in.

Two mascots push a food cart laden with steaming, fragrant delicacies.

Among them are many delicacies made with high-energy monster meat and rare magical plants, which emanate a continuous stream of life energy just by being placed there.

Upon smelling the aroma, Ang couldn't help but swallow hard, his Adam's apple bobbing.

He had attended this senior's banquet before when he came here with Viola, but at that time he was not experienced enough, and he thought that this senior was just spending money to entertain them.

But seeing him today, I never expected that even his daily diet is so... extravagant.

The two sat down in a small dining area partitioned off from the laboratory.

Jemin casually picked up a fruit that shimmered with a faint green light and was full of life energy, took a bite, and asked bluntly, "Junior Brother Ang, what brings you here to see me this time?"

Upon hearing this, Ang's face instantly showed embarrassment and awkwardness, and his hands unconsciously clenched.

He hesitated for a while before finally making up his mind and said in a low voice, "Senior, I... I heard from Senior Viola that you have technology that can enhance the aptitude of biological wizards... So, I would like to ask if you could... help improve someone's aptitude?"

Jemin blinked, genuinely somewhat surprised.

He hadn't expected that Ang had come for this. To be honest, if Ang hadn't mentioned it, he would have almost forgotten that he had this skill.

"Qualification improvement? That's possible. However, we need to know the specific circumstances of the target, such as their age, current qualification level, physical condition, and so on." He maintained a rigorous attitude.

Ang's face turned even redder, and his voice became even lower: "It's... a baby still in the womb..."

Upon hearing this, Jemin looked up from his food. This time, he quickly realized what was going on, and his tone carried a hint of understanding: "Is it your child?"

Ang nodded heavily, his face showing both the shyness of a new father and a hint of pleading.

Jemin was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected that this usually quiet junior student had quietly surpassed him and Viola, the "old" apprentices, and even had descendants.

However, he was not a gossipy person, and his surprise was fleeting; his attention immediately returned to the technical issues.

He pondered for a moment, his mind racing to calculate various parameters and costs, before speaking: "If it is still in the embryonic stage, the life form is not yet fully fixed, and the plasticity is strong, the technical difficulty and consumption of improving the quality will be greatly reduced."

He glanced at the nervous Ang and added, "As for the cost, I can offer you a discount."

Ang's eyes lit up, and he asked eagerly, "How much do you need?"

"Take away the odds... ten million low-level military merits." Jemin quoted a figure. "At this price, I can guarantee to raise the embryo's elemental affinity to the tenth level standard. As for other aspects of the embryo's qualities, such as mental strength growth or soul purity, the improvement will not be very significant due to the embryo's own capacity and technological limitations. It can probably only be maintained at the average level of four or five."

Ten million low-level military merits are undoubtedly an astronomical figure for an ordinary low-level wizard.

But for those who can access the level of Jemin, especially for investments in the quality of their offspring, this price is indeed a "friendly price".

Ang paused noticeably after hearing the number, a look of struggle and deliberation flashing across his face.

Ten million low-level military merits were almost all of his savings over the years.

But thinking that this was for his child's future... he gritted his teeth, raised his head, and said with a determined look in his eyes, "Okay! Senior, I'll place the order! Please!"

Jemin smiled gently: "No problem. Just contact me once you've confirmed the time. The operation requires a precise time window."

After seeing off Ang, who was both relieved and full of anticipation, Jemin was in a very good mood.

Strictly speaking, his fee is indeed extremely low, almost at cost price.

The main reason is that the amount of certain inducing factors and energy matrix required to improve the quality of embryos in the mother's body is very small, and he estimates that the leftover materials from previous research on quality improvement technology will be sufficient.

"Perfect for clearing out inventory, plus I can earn some goodwill and a little pocket money. Not bad," Jemin thought contentedly.

However, he hadn't had a moment of peace when the magic network terminal rang urgently again, and the name "Viola" appeared on the screen.

As soon as Jemin answered the call, Viola's face, filled with excitement and gossip, almost filled the entire screen.

"Jermin! Jemin! Did you see Ang?! Did he come looking for you? You know what happened? He has a child! Oh my god! Who is it? Do we know each other? Tell me the details!" Viola bombarded her with questions, her curiosity almost overflowing.

Jemin sighed helplessly, looking at this senior who always seemed full of energy, and knew that she must have come for this matter.

“Senior, Junior Ang did come to me to ask about some technical issues. As for other things…” He shrugged, “I didn’t ask about the specifics.”

"What?! You didn't even ask?!" Viola's eyebrows shot up, her face contorted with indignation, as if saying, "You're so irresponsible!" "Such a big matter was right in front of you, and you actually..."

Before she could finish speaking, Clark's calm and authoritative voice came from outside the screen: "Viola, have you finished running your data model? Do you still have time to chat here?"

Then, the screen shook, and an invisible hand grabbed Viola by the back of her collar, dragging her away from the communication range amidst her cries of "Oh no, mentor, I was wrong, I'll go right now!"

The communication screen then went dark.

Jemin looked at the terminal, which had returned to silence, blinked, and chuckled.

Recalling his junior Ang's request and Viola's still youthful curiosity, and comparing it to his own "vicissitudes" of burying himself in old books for fifty years, he couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

Before we knew it, even that junior from elementary school had started a family and was about to welcome the next generation.

And he himself, in this long life and on the path of seeking knowledge, seems... to really be considered one of the older generation.

(This chapter is a two-part summary.)

(End of this chapter)