The lightning dissipated, and the thunderous roar ceased.

  The wilderness returned to a dead silence.

  Ian stared blankly at the scene in the distance, his mind still in a daze.

  That Rank 4 Priest—the one who had caused their squad such catastrophic casualties—had been dealt with by Pierce so effortlessly.

  From start to finish, Maynard had been completely suppressed!

  This scene truly exceeded his wildest imagination!

  "Too powerful..." Ian subconsciously muttered to himself.

  Standing beside him, Sophia and Payne were also full of reverence, but they didn't look particularly surprised.

  After all, they had seen similar scenes countless times before. In their eyes, Pierce had long become synonymous with invincibility.

  Pierce made a grasping motion, and the lotus-shaped ice crystal lifted off the ground, floating into his palm.

  The moment he grasped it, a bone-piercing cold transmitted through his skin.

  Even with Pierce's formidable Physique, his palm felt a faint numbness.

  "What an astonishing cold."

  Pierce clicked his tongue in wonder.

  If anyone below a Legendary Knight were to touch this Quasi-Divine Artifact, they would likely be frozen stiff in an instant.

  If a Quasi-Divine Artifact is already this powerful, I wonder what a legendary Divine Artifact is like?

  Pierce was somewhat curious.

  But it was just a passing thought. Given the power of a Divine Artifact, even if it were held by a mere Rank 4 Priest, he most likely wouldn't be a match for it.

  Encountering one right now wouldn't be a good thing.

  "The Power of Faith within this Quasi-Divine Artifact is incredibly dense. I estimate I can refine at least seven or eight Faith Crystals from it."

  A satisfied smile flashed across Pierce's eyes.

  Although he wouldn't need Faith Crystals to advance to a Rank 2 Wizard, once he reached that rank—whether in the Gaseous or Liquid Phase—he would still need vast quantities of them. Naturally, the more of these, the better.

  Stowing away the lotus ice crystal, Pierce turned and walked toward the castle.

  Sophia and the other two hurried over, leading the Giant Eagles.

  "Let's go back," Pierce said calmly.

  The group mounted the Giant Eagles and flew rapidly toward Red Maple City.

  When Red Maple City appeared on the horizon, Ian couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

  When he had made up his mind to follow Pierce out for revenge, he never could have imagined that they would successfully kill their target and return in less than a day.

  This efficiency was simply absurd.

  Ian could already picture the dumbfounded expressions on the faces of those Wizards from the Wizard-Hunter Force when they heard the news.

  And reality played out exactly as he expected.

  When they saw the group return, Gideon and the others still in the stone house's living room were stunned.

  The female Wizard subconsciously asked, "Didn't you leave the city? Why are you back so qui—"

  She stopped herself before finishing the sentence, assuming Pierce hadn't been able to find Maynard and wanting to save him some face.

  However, Pierce's next words froze her in place.

  "Maynard is already dead."

  The moment these words were spoken, everyone—including Gideon—was dumbfounded. Their first reaction was utter disbelief.

  You've got to be kidding!

  You were gone for less than a day, and you managed to find the target so quickly?

  Even if you got lucky and found him, the man held a Quasi-Divine Artifact and was surrounded by a large group of Combat Priests! How could you possibly have killed him so easily?

  Looking at Pierce's current state, he didn't look like someone who had just been through a massive battle at all.

  However, when Gideon shot an inquiring look at Ian, the latter nodded with a deeply complex expression.

  "Maynard has indeed been killed by Lord Pierce. And those Combat Priests who ambushed us earlier... they were all killed as well."

  If those words weren't enough to convince the crowd, the lotus ice crystal Pierce subsequently took out shattered their last shred of doubt.

  For those who had survived the ambush, the impression left by this Quasi-Divine Artifact was unforgettable.

  Even Gideon, who hadn't been present, could clearly sense the intense Divine Grace contained within the lotus ice crystal. It far exceeded an ordinary Holy Artifact; it was undoubtedly a Quasi-Divine Artifact.

  Seeing this, no one harbored any further doubts. The gazes they directed at Pierce were suddenly filled with unconcealable shock and awe.

  This is way too fierce!

  He didn't even let revenge wait overnight!

  And the target was a Rank 4 Combat Priest of the Witch-Hunter Force, a powerhouse wielding a Quasi-Divine Artifact!

  He killed a powerhouse of that caliber just like that!

  Yuna's junior is simply ridiculously strong!

  Pierce was already accustomed to such gazes and paid them no mind. He asked in a serious tone, "How is Yuna doing?"

  The female Wizard snapped back to reality and quickly answered, "She has already consumed the Moonwater. The Divine Grace within her body has been mostly purged. She should be fine after resting for four or five days."

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Pierce breathed a slight sigh of relief. "That's good."

  Knowing Yuna was safe, Pierce relaxed. Not wanting to stay and be gawked at like a rare animal, he told Ian, "I'll come visit her in a few days," and then turned to leave.

  Outside, the night was already deep and dark.

  A crescent moon, like a silver disc, hung high in the sky. The stars and moon of this alien plane looked no different from those of the Wizard Plane.

  Seeing that it was quite late, Pierce abandoned the idea of visiting Garrick and headed toward the Mission Hall instead.

  Although his primary goal today had been to kill Maynard, he had also destroyed several Turin fortifications in the process. He had conveniently completed a few missions, and there was no reason to refuse the rewards.

  When Pierce walked out of the Mission Hall, his crystal card held over 6,000 more Merit Points.

  For the vast majority of Rank 1 Wizards, this was an absolute fortune.

  But for the current Pierce, it was just alright.

  "Trading for knowledge from Garrick will likely cost a lot of Merit Points."

  "Also, it's time to upgrade Silver Star. With my current mental energy level, I should barely be able to use a Tier 3 Magic Tool normally. Three standard units of metal alloy will cost around 4,000 Merit Points."

  "Then there are the Alchemical Etchings; the materials for that will also be a significant expense."

  Calculating it all out, Pierce realized he was still facing a massive shortfall in Merit Points.

  "A Wizard's power is mostly built upon a mountain of resources. That saying is indeed true."

  This phrase was especially applicable to Pierce.

  Ultimately, the reason he possessed the formidable power to fight above his rank was because he had consumed a sea of resources.

  The Omniscient Eye merely provided him with the initial capital to obtain those resources.

  With power, he could acquire resources, which allowed him to increase his strength faster, which in turn allowed him to acquire even more resources, forming a virtuous cycle.

  After entering the Planar Battlefield, catalyzed by the fierce and cruel competition, this cycle had become even more pronounced.

  It was only after arriving here that Pierce's strength had advanced by leaps and bounds.

  In just nine short months, he was already nearing the critical threshold of advancing to a Rank 2 Wizard.

  "But compared to those high-tier Wizards active on the main battlefield, I'm still far behind."

  Pierce looked up at the night sky, his gaze profound.

  No matter how many missions they, the Rank 1 and Rank 2 Wizards, completed, or how well they did them, their impact on this war was ultimately negligible.

  Even the massive armies of both sides currently in a standoff on the main battlefield weren't the primary factors that would decide the war's outcome.

  The true deciding factors were the pinnacle combatants of both civilizations.

  In this era of the Multiverse, where the upper limit of individual power was astronomically high—where the powerful could easily annihilate an entire plane—the strength of the collective wasn't nearly as important as many thought.

  Sometimes, a single powerhouse was enough to determine the outcome of a planar war.

  The only reason this war hadn't yet evolved into a showdown between the pinnacle combatants was because neither the Winter Frost Church nor Red Maple City and White Ice City had the absolute certainty of killing their opponents. Therefore, both sides tacitly chose to bide their time.

  Once that moment arrived and the pinnacle combatants engaged in a decisive battle, the war would likely reach its conclusion.

  Standing in place and pondering for a moment, Pierce snapped out of his thoughts, shook his head to clear his mind, and walked toward his residence.

  The next day.

  Following the address Anton had given him, Pierce arrived at the door of a stone house situated on the edge of a rocky cliff.

  The stone house was surprisingly large—at least three times the size of his own residence.

  Surrounded by a cluster of 'cramped' stone houses, it stood out like a crane among a flock of chickens, extremely conspicuous.

  The moment Pierce approached, he sensed the unique energy fluctuations of a warning magic array.

  Sure enough, before he even knocked, the door opened from the inside. A man, seemingly a follower, walked out and asked with a measured tone, "May I ask what business you have here?"

  According to the information fed back by the Omniscient Eye, this man was a Tier 3 Legendary Knight.

  "My name is Pierce. I am here to visit Lord Garrick."

  Hearing the name Pierce, a strange light flashed in the man's eyes. After looking Pierce up and down, his demeanor became noticeably more respectful.

  "Please wait a moment."

  Just as the man was about to turn and go inside to report, a voice echoed from within.

  "Let the guest in."

  The man paused, respectfully acknowledged the order, and then stepped aside, making a welcoming gesture.

  "Please come in, Lord Pierce."

  Pierce nodded and stepped inside.

  The interior of the stone house was indeed vastly more spacious than his own.

  Upon entering, there was a long hallway that led to a bright, luxuriously decorated living room. It was evident that the owner was incredibly wealthy.

  This wasn't surprising. Enchanters, much like Potioneers, were universally recognized as one of the wealthiest groups among Wizards.

  Not to mention Garrick was a Tier 3 Enchanter; he was likely wealthier than many Rank 3 Wizards.

  As Pierce entered the living room, he saw a plump, middle-aged man sitting on a sofa, facing the entrance.

  Seeing Pierce, the man immediately stood up and walked over with a beaming smile.

  "I've long heard that Aurora City produced a genius Wizard. I've been wanting to meet you for a while now. Today, I finally get my wish."

  A look of surprise flashed across the face of the Knight who had led Pierce in.

  It was his first time seeing his master act so enthusiastically toward a Rank 1 Wizard.

  But upon second thought, it made sense.

  Rumors stated that although Pierce was only a Rank 1 Wizard, his true strength rivaled a Rank 2 Wizard.

  Furthermore, he was a Tier 2 Potioneer himself.

  Having such strength and status at his age, it was no wonder the master treated him with such enthusiasm.

  "Lord Garrick, you flatter me," Pierce smiled and shook Garrick's hand.

  After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two sat down facing each other.

  Once the servant had served black tea and withdrawn, Garrick smiled and said, "I heard you had some business with me. May I ask what it is?"

  Pierce got straight to the point: "I've recently been researching Alchemical Etchings and require some knowledge in this field. I thought Lord Garrick might have what I need, so I took the liberty of visiting."

  A look of surprise flashed in Garrick's eyes. "You also study Enchantment?"

  He only knew Pierce was a highly talented Tier 2 Potioneer; he had never heard that he also dabbled in Enchantment.

  Pierce smiled slightly and rolled up his sleeve, revealing the Magic Tattoo on his arm.

  "A Magic Tattoo... Oh! What a peculiar pattern design!"

  With just a few glances, Garrick immediately noticed the anomaly in the Magic Tattoo on Pierce's arm.

  It was vastly different from an ordinary High-Tier Magic Tattoo; it seemed to have undergone some optimizations.

  "Did you optimize this yourself?"

  "That's right," Pierce said, half-truthfully. "To make the Magic Tattoo better suit my physique, I made some minor optimizations."

  Hearing this, Garrick's expression changed slightly, and his gaze toward Pierce suddenly carried a hint of awe.

  Learning to inscribe a Magic Tattoo wasn't difficult; it was merely a matter of practice making perfect. Any Enchanter whose mental energy met the standard could do it.

  But optimizing a Magic Tattoo was an entirely different story. Unless one's Enchantment skills had reached a highly profound level, it was absolutely impossible.

  Based on this point alone, Pierce had already surpassed the vast majority of Tier 2 Enchanters!

  A genius Wizard who was simultaneously a Tier 2 Potioneer and a Tier 2 Enchanter!

  Garrick was endlessly amazed inwardly.

  Whether it was Enchantment or Potioneering, both were incredibly profound and complex disciplines.

  For an ordinary Wizard to master even one of them was already highly commendable.

  He had never seen a genius like Pierce, who had reached Tier 2 in both disciplines simultaneously at the young age of eighteen.

  For a moment, Garrick's evaluation of Pierce rose several notches higher.

  With a light cough, Garrick smiled and said, "I do indeed possess the relevant knowledge regarding Alchemical Etchings, and I guarantee it's comprehensive. I am also willing to trade it with you. However, as you know, knowledge of Alchemical Etchings is far more precious than that of Magic Tattoos. The price won't be cheap."

  Pierce's spirits lifted, and he said seriously, "Name your price. How about we trade using Merit Points?"

  To his surprise, Garrick shook his head. "I don't want Merit Points."

  Pierce raised an eyebrow. "Then what do you want?"

  A strange light flashed in Garrick's eyes. He looked intently at Pierce and said, "I heard you obtained a Quasi-Divine Artifact yesterday. How about trading that?"

  Pierce paused. News certainly traveled fast.

  At the same time, he finally understood why Garrick had been so enthusiastic upon seeing him.

  Aside from his strength and status, it turned out the man had his eye on that Quasi-Divine Artifact.

  To Pierce, the only use for the lotus ice crystal was extracting Faith Crystals. If he could trade it for knowledge on Alchemical Etchings, he would be more than happy to do so.

  Of course, he couldn't let Garrick off that easily.

  Calculated solely in terms of Faith Crystals, the lotus ice crystal was already worth seven to eight thousand Merit Points. That wasn't even factoring in the value of the alien civilization's enchantment techniques imbued within it, which held immense appeal for most Enchanters.

  Even if he asked for 20,000 Merit Points, there would surely be Enchanters willing to buy it.

  While knowledge of Alchemical Etchings was indeed precious, it was nowhere near worth 20,000 Merit Points.

  Garrick also understood this, so he quickly added, "Of course, I won't take advantage of you. I'll throw in an additional 15,000 Merit Points to make up the difference. How does that sound?"

  Pierce's eyes flickered. He pondered for a few seconds, then nodded heavily.

  "Deal!"