With a map to guide him, traveling through the sea of lava was actually a very safe route.
...
In the upper layer of the sea of lava, Richard supported a Magic Barrier, comparing it to the map he had drawn from memory to confirm his current position.
Beneath him, a Flame Behemoth, resembling a catfish, was slowly swimming through the lava sea. Its two dragon whiskers were held by Ulysses, like reins.
The upper layer of the lava sea was home to numerous Flame Behemoths, most of which were first-level creatures and posed no threat to Richard. However, these creatures, having lived in the lava sea for years, moved with incredible speed.
Thus, Richard, looking to save effort, caught one as his mode of transportation.
Under Richard's training, the fiery catfish quickly recognized its situation and began to obediently follow Richard's instructions.
As for Ulysses, who was holding onto the two dragon whiskers, he was in a moment of excitement, wanting to race through the lava sea—no, it should be called racing fish.
"Gah, are you sure? If you are, then let's speed up!"
Ulysses tugged on the two dragon whiskers, eagerly looking at the sea ahead.
In his perception, there were many Flame Behemoths in the lava sea ahead. Their strength was insignificant to Ulysses, but at this moment, they became tools to test his "driving" skills.
Richard put away the map and casually tossed it into a spatial rift.
"Confirmed, it's this direction. If we go another fifty kilometers, we'll reach the area controlled by the Wizards."
"Gah, fifty kilometers? That's a bit unsatisfying. Let's go a bit further." Ulysses said excitedly.
Racing through the lava sea on a tamed semi-elemental creature was a rare experience even for him, a well-traveled World Master.
"Suit yourself, just don't run into the lava sea at the edge of the world."
"Gah gah, got it!"
Ulysses shouted, giving a gentle tug on the dragon whiskers, and the catfish beneath him responded with a deep roar.
"Let's go, Crow Ship, we still have a long way to go!"
...
In the sea of lava.
Ulysses was fully focused on piloting the "Crow Ship," skillfully weaving through the rolling lava. Around him, the massive Flame Behemoths roared deeply, their bodies ablaze, watching this somewhat crazy fellow of their kind with caution.
Fire elementals are the most explosive of elements, and the fire elemental creatures, with fire flowing in their blood, are all like powder kegs ready to explode at the slightest provocation.
With just a little stimulation, they would attack. Ulysses, seeking to provoke them, continuously used energy and his raspy voice to taunt the Flame Behemoths.
"Gah gah gah, fools, come chase me!"
"That one over there, I'm talking about you! What are you looking at? Come bite me if you can!"
"Gah gah, Crow Ship, bite him! Yes, bite his tail!"
While provoking, Ulysses moved gracefully like a dancer, nimbly dodging between the Flame Behemoths. His skills were superb, and the giant beasts that obstructed him were always narrowly avoided.
Each time a Flame Behemoth nearly collided with him, the slight distance felt as insurmountable as a chasm.
Ulysses would sometimes accelerate, like a flash of lightning cutting through the lava sea; at other times, he would slow down and maneuver, as if playing a clever game of hide and seek with the giants.
For many creatures, the lava sea was akin to hell, but in Ulysses' eyes, it was like a playground.
Ulysses was having the time of his life, while Richard pondered how to simplify the techniques of the pioneers.
The techniques of the pioneers were indeed impressive, but they consumed too much energy. Perhaps the civilization of the pioneers had reached a level of energy freedom, but Richard was not at that level yet.
Thus, reducing energy consumption was Richard's primary task at the moment.
While gold that cannot be spent is nice for decoration, silver that can be spent is clearly better.
After thinking for a long time, Richard sighed, "Alas, it's a pity that Dragon Alchemy and Wizard Alchemy cannot be compatible. If they could, this modification would be much easier."
After pondering for a while, the only solution Richard could think of was to rely on an Alchemy Machine for power, then use a purely mechanical structure to attach the saw teeth of the chainsaw sword to it, thereby reducing consumption.
But doing so required Richard to have a deep understanding of Alchemy Machines.
Making an Alchemy Machine on a large scale is difficult, but making a small one is even harder.
Especially for a small Alchemy Machine operating under extremely harsh conditions, its production difficulty is comparable to asking a Wizard who has never studied Alchemy Machines to create a humanoid alchemical puppet from scratch.
"Alas! At this rate, I'm going to become a mechanical Alchemist Wizard."
The racing continued all day, and after traveling four hundred kilometers, Ulysses finally had his fill and decided to return to the surface.
Looking at the thick rock wall above him, Richard sighed again.
Hopefully, this time digging out won't encounter anything strange.
...
The scorching sun shone down on the earth, and for the Wizards living in the rear, today was another peaceful day.
Kain, a White Wizard on leave.
As long as the number of Wizards is not critically low, the White Wizards on the front lines can apply for a three-month leave to the rear every year.
During this time, Wizards can stay away from the front lines and perform some patrol tasks with no danger.
For Wizards, this is basically no different from a vacation.
However, with the ongoing war, Kain could clearly feel that the number of Wizards was somewhat insufficient.
At the beginning of the war, if one wanted to take leave, they only needed to submit a report, and there was no need for approval; they could return to the rear directly. But this time, Kain not only waited nearly half a month for approval but also had his recent battle situation scrutinized.
According to his direct superior, if it weren't for his squad suffering a significant reduction in numbers recently, his leave application would definitely not have been approved.
"Alas, those Fire Lizards are really tough." Kain said casually.
"Isn't that right?" replied another White Wizard on leave beside him. "I heard from a Black Wizard who returned that we recently lost six Third Circle masters in an operation behind the Fire Lizards."
"Six?!" Kain gasped, "Were they ambushed by the Fire Lizards?"
"God knows." The responding White Wizard shook his head. "I heard that the Fire Lizards deployed an elite unit that had never been used before. In terms of individual combat power, they might even be stronger than Third Circle masters."
Kain's heart trembled. In his impression, Wizards should be crushing these natives; at the very least, it should be a draw.
How could there be natives stronger than Wizards? After that, the responding White Wizard added somewhat mysteriously, "And you know what's the strangest part? That powerful Third Circle master who participated in the operation was actually an unexpected addition.
Originally, that master wasn't part of the operation. He suddenly emerged from the ground while the other masters were discussing the plan!"
"Hmm? A Third Circle master discussing plans, how could someone just pop up from underground?" Kain exclaimed in astonishment, "This rumor is too far-fetched!"
The responding Wizard shrugged, "That's what the rumors say, but none of us know the specifics."
Kain was about to ask more when he suddenly sensed a magical fluctuation beneath his feet.
Instinctively, he leaped into the air, and the staff in his hand shot out a flame jet with a power level of five hundred.
The Wizard patrolling alongside him also reacted, casually throwing two fireballs up.
Boom! The fireballs exploded into a cloud of smoke, and as the smoke cleared, a dirt-covered Wizard stood at the position of their magical attack.
"This welcome ceremony is a bit special." Richard wiped the dust from his face and awkwardly smiled at the two Wizards who had attacked him.
Having just emerged to encounter patrolling Wizards, Richard didn't know if he was lucky or unfortunate.
Fortunately, the magical levels of these two Wizards were not high, and Richard could withstand the attack with just his body, suffering no real harm, just a mouthful of sand.
Looking at the black-robed Wizard who had emerged from underground, the two patrolling Wizards tightened their grips on their staffs, wary.
"What kind of Wizard are you, and why did you come up from underground?"
The Fire Lizards had never ceased their infiltration into the areas controlled by Wizards, and some infiltrating Fire Lizards even possessed the ability to create illusions, making themselves appear like Wizards.
"Well, it's a long story. In short, I'm a Black Wizard returning from the rear. As for my identity…" Richard smiled, "You wouldn't believe it if I told you."
Ignoring the two patrolling Wizards, Richard took out a map from his Magic Pocket and matched it to his position based on instinct.
Having dug from the lava sea to the surface, Richard was sure he hadn't traveled in a straight line. Upon reaching the surface, he needed to confirm his position.
"Excuse me, is Floating City in this direction?"
Richard held the map and swiftly appeared in front of the two patrolling Wizards, casually pointing in the direction.
The two patrolling Wizards stiffened slightly; Richard's speed was so fast that they couldn't even react.
Kain glanced at the detailed map in Richard's hand, swallowed hard, and nodded.
"Yes, it's in that direction."
Richard smiled, casually pulled something from his pocket, and handed it to Kain. "Thank you, this is a token of appreciation."
With that, Richard sped off towards Floating City.
Kain stood there in a daze, looking down at the item the mysteriously appearing master had given him—a perfectly shaped fire elemental gem.
The Wizard beside Kain, seeing the gem in his hand, exclaimed in surprise, "What a pure fire elemental gem! Gems of this quality are probably only found in the magma underground; even in regular active volcanoes, they might not be found. It's worth at least dozens of Magic Essence! Kain, you hit the jackpot this time!"
Kain stared blankly at the gem in his hand, his mind involuntarily recalling the rumors they had just discussed.
The powerful Great Wizard who emerged from underground… Could it be that he encountered the Third Circle master mentioned in the rumors!
(End of chapter)