Chapter 133: Return to the Surface

As Richard and his companions navigated the complex tunnels upward, they soon found themselves leaving the middle hive and entering the upper hive. The drop in temperature and humidity was a refreshing change, allowing Richard to take a deep breath and exclaim with relief:

"We're finally getting out of here. Any longer, and I might start growing mushrooms on myself."

Ellie, walking beside him, nodded in agreement. "Definitely. The lower hive is no place for anyone to be stuck in."

Lawrence, the seasoned old wizard, didn't react as strongly to the harsh environment of the lower hive, having seen worse conditions in his time.

"It's not too bad. In planar wars, this isn't the worst you could find. If you're not handling it well, I'd suggest body modification to become like me—a living dead. Then you won't be bothered by any environment."

"…I'll pass on that." 

While being a living dead meant less sensitivity to environmental discomforts, it also meant losing the ability to feel much of anything else, a transformation few wizards outside necromancers would choose.

In the two years that had passed, the upper hive had changed significantly.

As Richard ascended, he frequently encountered white wizards and logistics wizards at work, destroying smaller tunnels and passages and solidifying them with spells. Larger caverns were being fortified, outfitted with magical arrays and alchemical weapons, turning them into defensible outposts.

It seemed the higher-ups had decided to halt the complete eradication of the hives, opting instead to fortify key positions.

Richard approached a logistics wizard to inquire and learned that the command had deemed the remaining insect numbers too low to justify further use of black wizards. It was more efficient to destroy their access routes to the upper hive and trap them below, dealing with them later in the war.

...

Emerging from the hive, Richard stood under the open sky, feeling a wave of emotions. 

Being back on the surface feels damn good!

Returning to the Floating City fortress revealed significant changes. The wizards' accommodations were complete, forming a ring around the fortress. If the Black Crystal Insectoids launched a counterattack, these structures would serve as the first line of defense.

According to command orders, all wizards returning from the hive were granted a month-long leave for rest.

After that, they would receive new assignments.

...

After collecting the keys from a logistics wizard, Richard found his quarters in the residential ring.

A month wasn't a long time, but it was enough to catch his breath.

The insect-hunting mission had been quite fruitful for him. Besides acquiring the World Mushroom, he had captured several Spider Knights and warrior insects, while the initial cultivator insects were discarded.

He trusted that with the World Mushroom, cultivating fungi would be a trivial task.

After organizing his spoils, Richard headed to the fortress's wizard guild to sell them.

Indeed, planar expeditions included accompanying guilds.

Each planar expedition involved several guilds partnered with the academy, each carrying substantial amounts of magic stones and essences. While they tended to negotiate prices downward, for wizards needing to offload inventory, this wasn't a major issue.

Moreover, these trophies provided no combat benefit to wizards. Converting them into magic stones allowed for replenishing magical energy or trading for resources with other wizards.

Thanks to his anatomical knowledge of the Spider Knights' weaknesses, Richard had captured them in excellent condition, netting him nearly thirty thousand magic stones.

For a first-circle wizard on his first planar war, this was extraordinary.

Having sold his loot, Richard visited a wizard's market in the residential area. This marketplace offered items with uncertain or undervalued prices.

The market bustled with activity. Command's order had summoned all first-circle black wizards to the Floating City, bringing a surge of trade.

"Special fungus! Special fungus! Highly neurotoxic, perfect for alchemical poisons!"

"Starstones! Starstones! Harvested from the hive's peak, capable of absorbing starlight. Who knows, you might unlock the secrets of starlight!"

"Mutant transport insects! Enhanced load capacity and defense, ideal for mobile alchemical weapon platforms!"

Walking through the market, Richard felt like he was back in the academy's commercial street.

Back then, wizards seemed unattainable and mysterious.

Now, as a wizard himself, surrounded by other wizards, they seemed no different from apprentices.

After browsing the market, Richard realized most of the items were junk.

For example, the special fungus, while neurotoxic, had little effect on Black Crystal Insectoids.

Feeding it to any first-tier insect would result in the insect dying from overeating rather than poisoning.

And the starstones, while capable of attracting starlight, were weak. Even Black Crystal Insectoids used them only as supplements. The seller's claim of unraveling starlight's mysteries was less credible than researching it through priest insects.

But these weren't the main issues.

Despite selective advertising, some items had research potential. If priced right, Richard wouldn't mind buying some.

However, these wizards priced their goods exorbitantly, hoping to fleece any interested buyers.

Just like the apprentices Richard had dealt with in his early days.

Shaking his head, Richard lamented that the academy's system couldn't filter out foolishness, at least not in commerce.

Just as he was about to leave, something caught his eye.

"Friend, how much for this?"

Richard approached a stall, pointing to a fist-sized black crystal, and asked.

The seller glanced at it, his tone lazy. "One hundred thousand magic stones, non-negotiable."

"One hundred thousand magic stones?" Richard's heart raced, not because the price was high, but because it was too low.

If he wasn't mistaken, this black crystal was a Nomi crystal. Wizards had harvested these to near extinction during the Enlightenment. Richard had only seen them in ciphered texts.

He never expected to find one at the wizard market today.

"Non-negotiable," the seller reiterated.

"Alright, I'll take it."

Richard counted out a bag of magic essences and tossed it to the seller.

After a quick mental scan, the seller produced a contract.

With the contract signed, the transaction was complete.

Richard casually asked, "Friend, where did you get this?"

The wizard looked up, replying, "No comment."

"…"

Having hit a wall, Richard left, speculating that the seller had likely scavenged it from a fallen wizard.

After being exhausted in the Wizard World, Nomi crystals had been sought in conquered worlds, with no success.

This hive world likely wasn't the lucky exception.

Back at his quarters, Richard immediately began crafting his staff's headpiece.

Despite his staff's excellent performance in the hive, both in melee and spellcasting, it still lacked a proper headpiece.

Moreover, the Nomi crystal would significantly boost Richard's combat capabilities.

While its spell-enhancing properties were limited, it possessed a unique trait: silent casting.

This "silence" didn't mean no magic was needed but that it masked the magical fluctuations during casting.

The Nomi crystal greatly dampened a wizard's magical fluctuations, akin to a silencer in films.

For a black wizard like Richard, it was a godsend.

No matter how cautious a wizard, casting always emitted some magical fluctuations. Sensitive indigenous creatures could detect these, revealing the wizard's position.

With the Nomi crystal, Richard needn't worry about this anymore.

Attaching the headpiece was straightforward, and Richard finished it in an afternoon. He then tested his spells, starting with the Heart of Annihilation, known for its pronounced magical fluctuations.

Buzz!

Richard was delighted by the staff's performance. The Heart of Annihilation's fluctuations were reduced to mere trickle, comparable to a cantrip. If he used subtler spells, the fluctuations would be negligible.

Pleased, Richard returned to his room, only to be pulled into the bedroom by a familiar figure.

"Whoa, Ellie, calm down. I just made a staff. It's amazing..."

Before he could finish, she silenced him with a kiss.

Soon, the room echoed with the sound of tearing fabric and inappropriate moans.

A wizard's physique and mental strength surpassed that of apprentices, but this heightened their desires and endurance.

Pent-up desires, like a dormant volcano, needed only a spark to erupt.

"Listen, Ellie, my staff really is amazing," Richard tried to say.

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