Chapter 412 The Fourth Time

The clarification of the research direction was like injecting a powerful catalyst into the entire wizarding army.

In order to obtain more samples of the Scythe-Skull race—especially living individuals at different stages of development—the wizards' efforts became more aggressive than ever before.

Elite squads continued to penetrate deeper into the heart of the Sickle-Skull tribe's territory, with the clear objective of intercepting their breeding grounds and molting nests.

However, the research group where Jemin works is not the only one that is busy.

In fact, the entire logistics research and development system is operating at full speed, but each research group is responsible for different things.

While Jemin and his team were achieving some initial results, other research groups completed their research tasks as time went on.

For example, a "crystallization disintegration ray" specifically designed for the crustacean elements of the Sickle-skull race has been developed. This sorcery can interfere with the energy conduction of their crustaceans, making them as brittle as porcelain.

Furthermore, "frequency contamination fields," designed based on the weaknesses of the Sickle Skull Clan's information and communication systems, have begun to be deployed on the front lines, effectively disrupting their command network.

Bright light blinding runes optimized for their compound eye visual characteristics, ecological blocking agents that utilize their larvae's dependence on specific fungal mats... a series of targeted technologies have emerged like mushrooms after rain.

With these combat aids, the wizards' advance speed increased once again.

This was followed by an increasing amount of intelligence being gathered.

Various battlefield situations and terrain scans, models and data of various new types of witchcraft, and a constant stream of macro-information about the energy flow, geological structure, and abnormal law fluctuations of the entire plane.

It can be said that the number of recording crystals stored in the cave within Jemin's body is increasing at a visible rate every day.

The overwhelming effect of technology is beginning to show.

The Sickle-Skull Clan's defenses were crumbling.

The combined spell arrays that once plagued wizards frequently failed under targeted interference; the elusive Leyline Guardian Worms had their energy nodes pre-marked and destroyed.

Even their attempts at large-scale counterattacks turned into chaotic charges due to communication disruptions, and were reduced to mountains of corpses and seas of blood by the wizards' well-prepared crossfire.

Less than two months after the start of the war, the Scythe-Skull Clan had lost more than half of the territory it controlled, and its civilization as a whole showed signs of collapse.

On the battlefield, even rare sights have begun to appear: small groups of Scythe-Skull Clan troops abandon their equipment and flee, and some breeding farms are even deliberately abandoned, leaving behind a large number of larvae and resources that have not been transferred.

The scales of victory seem to have tipped completely.

On this day, Jieming had just stored a batch of the latest research results: a partial deciphering report on the "pheromone encoding pattern" of high-ranking individuals of the Sickle-Skull Clan on the corresponding shelf in the Cave Heaven.

He straightened up and rubbed his temples, which were throbbing from processing information for so long.

Just then.

An indescribable feeling gripped him.

It wasn't a sound, nor a vibration, but a more fundamental "change"—as if the very foundation of the world had been gently tugged.

The strings of the dimensional laws were plucked by an invisible hand, producing a buzzing sound that mortals could hardly hear, yet which made the souls of the extraordinary tremble.

“This is…” Jemin’s pupils contracted sharply.

Before I could react, a strange pulling sensation came from all directions.

Matter, space, consciousness... everything is being forcibly dragged and reversed by an invisible force.

A new cycle of time has begun.

...

...

Just as he rushed through the spatial rift, Jemin felt a sudden wave of dizziness, as if someone had hit the back of his head with a blunt object.

But he immediately regained his balance—his Nascent Soul realm cultivation and the mental power of a fourth-level wizard were not just for show, and he regained his senses almost instantly.

"Captain?" came a teammate's question from behind.

"It's nothing," Jemin replied instinctively, but then suddenly froze.

He felt a strong sense of déjà vu about the scene, as if he had seen it before.

He subconsciously looked up to observe his surroundings, and across the dark spatial rift, his two thousand men appeared high in the sky behind the battlefield.

Wait... two thousand people?!

As the first squad, he clearly only had a thousand members!

Jemin's pupils suddenly contracted as he recalled the arrangement of the wizard Artorias the Starforger: the 30,000 wizards were divided into 30 teams, with a new team being deployed every three cycles.

So, the appearance of these two thousand "reinforcements" only means one thing...

This is the fourth cycle.

Meanwhile, the guards behind the wizard army had already turned their attention to them.

"Reinforcements?" A level six wizard flew out from the ranks, his voice full of vigilance. "At this time?"

While suppressing the strong sense of déjà vu that welled up in his mind, Jemin took out his terminal.

A beam of light projected, and Artorias's command document and the dazzling eighth-level wizard's mental imprint floated in the air, instantly dispelling all doubts.

"Verification successful." The level six wizard bowed and stepped back.

During the brief interval while waiting for the army commander Frost to arrive, Jemin, realizing that he had already gone through multiple cycles, subconsciously checked his own condition.

Everything else was fine, but when his spiritual energy sank into his inner world, Jieming saw three metal plaques lying quietly on the ground: 1, 2, 3.

Behind the sign were mountains of recording crystals.

The latest batch still retains residual energy; it is research data sealed away at the last moment of the previous round.

His gaze swept over the handwritten reminders he had left behind, then he picked up a recording crystal that was specially marked below the metal plate.

Immediately afterwards, the actions I had taken in the previous round replayed rapidly in my mind like a tidal wave.

When Frost's figure in his silver-grey robes flew from the direction of the command post, Jemin was fully awake.

He stepped forward and, before the other person could speak, and under the slightly surprised gazes of the surrounding wizards, spoke first in a resolute tone:

"Sir Frost, I have important information to report!"

Frost's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, fell upon Jemin's face and lingered for a brief moment.

Without any further questions or doubts, the Level 7 commander turned around decisively: "In that case... come with me, the rest of you go to where you are according to the command network's instructions."

On his way to the command center, Jemin had already integrated all the information from the special recording crystal into his soul.

As the two stepped into the command center, which was protected by layers of security, Jemin, meeting the commander's scrutinizing gaze, didn't say much, but instead took out a recording crystal:

"Sir, this is the message you left for yourself in the last round!"

Upon hearing this, Frost narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the recording crystal that Jemin handed him: "Interesting..."

(End of this chapter)