Chapter 518 : Plane War
Chapter 518: Plane War
During the following week, Janna entered perhaps the busiest phase she had experienced in nearly two years.
Aside from attending the White Tower’s morning courses, she also took advantage of the time when Eunice-Gale didn’t have class to study with her—learning knowledge related to the 【Natural Affinity】 talent.
In the afternoons, Janna would again enter the 【Zoe Star】, where she practiced natural magic in accordance with Eunice-Gale’s guidance—
—to attempt constructing a complete natural ecological system.
Although the practice time wasn’t long, Janna, who possessed the 【Natural Affinity】 talent, progressed rapidly under the guidance of the high elf Eunice-Gale. She was able to master new abilities almost every day.
"All-knowing and almighty Lord of Knowledge and Wisdom, You are the Light of Wisdom and the Guardian of Books and Knowledge amidst the Dust of Time. Please heed my devout call and open the door leading to the World Inside the Book for me—"
嘩啦啦——as the pages of 《Law and Plane Studies》 rapidly flipped, Janna, already proficient in this process, quickly entered the 【World Inside the Book】.
"Since everyone is already here, turn your books to the page where we left off last time."
Standing on the lectern before the seated apprentices, Hephis-Stellar—bare-chested as always, wearing a large silver necklace with a flamboyant design and loose cotton harem pants—began his lecture.
Logically speaking, as the substitute lecturer for 《Law and Plane Studies》 during Eunice-Gale’s absence to participate in the 【Plane War】, Hephis-Stellar should have stepped down in honor when she returned.
However, due to Eunice-Gale’s personal circumstances and the fact that Hephis-Stellar’s teaching quality during his substitute period had indeed been impressive, he continued as acting lecturer for 《Law and Plane Studies》 this term, until Eunice-Gale resolved her personal matters.
"Those among you who haven’t yet mastered the 【Fallen Star】, raise your hands."
At those words, nearly half of the apprentices in the classroom raised their hands.
"Alright, put your hands down."
Seeing that so many still hadn’t mastered the 【Fallen Star】, Hephis-Stellar didn’t scold them. Instead, he lifted the 《Law and Plane Studies》 textbook and said to the class:
"Today’s lesson mainly covers knowledge related to the 【Plane War】. For those who have not yet grasped the 【Fallen Star】, it might be rather difficult to follow."
Hearing that, several apprentices who hadn’t yet mastered the 【Fallen Star】 couldn’t help but lower their heads in embarrassment.
Among them was Gawen-Toul, who had entered the White Tower alongside Janna.
This year, the White Tower’s apprentice intake was divided into two groups. One consisted of “direct admission” apprentices like Janna, who had already comprehended a 【Law Fragment】. The other group comprised those who had to participate in the White Tower Trial and compete based on their results.
Of course, apprentices like Gawen-Toul, who possessed the 【Wizard Invention】, also fell under a type of “direct admission,” though they still had to take part in the White Tower Trial.
So far, most of the apprentices who had entered through direct admission—such as Janna—had already found their own 【Fallen Star】 within the past few months.
For instance, Hosea-Gold, who also came from the Turin Wizard Congregation and had comprehended the 【Law Fragment of Density Manipulation】, successfully established a symbiotic link with an Earth-element 【Fallen Star】 a few weeks earlier.
Thus, when Hephis-Stellar asked the question earlier, those who raised their hands were mainly the apprentices who had joined the White Tower through the Trial.
Because their progress in comprehending the 【Law Fragments】 was slower, they lagged far behind apprentices like Janna. Even when Janna and her peers had already mastered their 【Fallen Stars】 for several months, these apprentices were still stuck trying to comprehend a 【Law Fragment】.
Fortunately, many of these apprentices came from wizard congregations across various regions, and within the past few months, using the White Tower’s 【Star Domain Zone】—which connected to multiple 【Law Planes】—many had managed to comprehend a 【Law Fragment】 and advance to the next stage.
Of course, there were also apprentices who pursued a purer 【Warlock Pathway】.
Their purpose for joining the White Tower, aside from seeking higher knowledge about 【Bloodline Evolution】, was also to explore other 【Planes】 in search of 【Bloodline-Side】 resources compatible with their own bloodlines.
Therefore, regardless of whether one pursued the 【Wizard Pathway】 or the 【Warlock Pathway】, 《Law and Plane Studies》 was a compulsory subject.
After all, once a 【Plane War】 began, even apprentices walking the 【Warlock Pathway】 had to fight alongside those who possessed the 【Fallen Star】 in cross-plane battles.
In fact, when it came to defending one’s own 【Plane】, apprentices of the 【Warlock Pathway】 were often the main fighting force.
ㄴ
"One of the prerequisites for a Wizard Apprentice to advance into a full-fledged Wizard is to promote their governed 【Fallen Star】 into a true 【Law Plane】. At that time, not only will your lifeform undergo a qualitative transformation, but your 【Law Plane】—formerly your 【Fallen Star】—will also ascend from the 【Crawling Zone】 to the 【Leap Zone】."
"And when that happens, you will inevitably be drawn into one 【Plane War】 after another——"
"Depending on the combat targets involved, the types of 【Plane Wars】 can vary widely. The most frequent ones are the small-scale 【Plane Wars】 waged between official Wizards themselves——"
"In battles between Wizards, what determines victory is often the degree of mastery over your 【Law】—"
"Once your grasp of the 【Law】 weakens, it means your 【Plane】 weakens as well. And when a weaker 【Plane】 faces a stronger one, there are only two possible outcomes—"
At this point, Hephis-Stellar paused, silently scanning the apprentices seated below before continuing:
"Either you choose to ‘cede territory and pay reparations,’ or you ‘voluntarily submit.’ Regardless of which choice is made, the fate of a weaker 【Plane】 is the same—it can only be trampled upon by others."
Hearing his words, Janna couldn’t help but picture in her mind a grand map composed of countless 【Planes】.
In that vast map, the ones holding initiative were always the powerful 【Planes】.
For the weaker ones, the only way to survive—aside from trading resources—was through dependence on others.