Chapter 227: News of Death and State of Mind

Gao Jie Ming plunged headlong into the laboratory, ceaselessly researching the secrets deep within the lava giant's body.

Day and night, tireless, time seemed to lose all meaning for him.

However, this "research frenzy," which had lasted for several days, was finally broken by a "beep—beep—" notification from the Magic Network terminal, shattering his trance.

With a slightly dazed expression, Gao Jie Ming lifted his head from the ocean of data and instinctively opened the Magic Network terminal.

Even now, his highly active mind was still calculating data and experimental information related to the modification of the lava giants. This book is first published on Daily Novel Reading to solve book shortages; ⓣⓣⓚⓢ. ⓣⓦ is super practical, providing you with a reading experience free of errors and out-of-order chapters.

On the terminal, the message was from David.

The other party stated concisely that he had successfully advanced to a Level Two Wizard, and he sent this message specifically to thank Gao Jie Ming for his previous modifications to the survivors of the Elosia plane.

These modified survivors had also helped him fulfill the promise he made long ago to the sage of the Elosia plane.

Gao Jie Ming blinked, and it took a few seconds before he suddenly came to his senses.

Only then did he realize that since his last communication with David, he had unknowingly been researching for several more decades!

"No wonder," Gao Jie Ming murmured softly, his fingertip tracing the research records on the light screen, "the progress of the research on the biological evolution of the lava giants is already nearing completion; it turns out so much time has passed."

But immediately after, Gao Jie Ming's brows suddenly knitted together tightly.

He suddenly felt... as if he had overlooked something extremely important.

Instinctively, he began scrolling through all the information records on the Magic Network terminal.

Those unread messages, ignored over the decades, flooded into his already highly active mind like a tidal wave.

After a long while, Gao Jie Ming finally realized the unsettling detail that made his heart palpitate: since departing for military service last time, neither Amy nor Victor had sent a single reply all these years!

Gao Jie Ming instinctively wanted to send them both a message of greeting.

But the moment his fingertip touched the send button on the light screen, the terminal automatically displayed a line of cold, blood-red auto-reply:

【Target Account: Victor Salio, confirmed status: 'Deceased'.】

【Target Account: Amy Gray Sparrow, confirmed status: 'Deceased'.】

Boom!

In that instant, Gao Jie Ming felt as though struck by lightning.

His entire body stiffened on the spot, as if hit by a heavy blow.

Even with Gao Jie Ming's current level of powerful brain activity, he remained blank for several minutes after seeing this information.

His mind, capable of processing vast amounts of information simultaneously, was now completely empty, unable to comprehend the meaning represented by the words before him.

Afterwards, he forcibly suppressed the shock and disbelief rising in his heart and, with trembling fingertips, continued to investigate in disbelief.

He conducted a deep query into the terminal's underlying records regarding the specific details of their deaths.

Soon, he found the true cause of their deaths.

【Mission Code: 'Nest of Whispering Stars', Plane Conquest Mission.】

【Reason for Mission Failure: Technical error in the psychological guidance layer regarding the natives; the core of the conquered plane was detonated by the native race's 'self-destruct mechanism'.】

【Casualties: The participating wizard squad, all members killed in action. Victor Salio, KIA Number: XXXX. Amy Gray Sparrow, KIA Number: XXXX.】

【Note: Both individuals encountered the energy explosion from the plane's self-destruction; contract reaction judgments confirm complete death. Considering no remains were found, it is recommended that the Academy activate the honorary pension mechanism.】

After confirming the authenticity of the news of their deaths, Gao Jie Ming found that, for a moment, he did not know what flavor his heart held.

Pain? Sorrow?

Perhaps there was some; his chest felt as if blocked by something, making even breathing difficult.

But it did not seem as severe as described in those novels.

Gao Jie Ming discovered with astonishment that the emotion dominating his heart at this moment was actually a profound bewilderment and incomprehension.

It was as if his mind, capable of researching complex formulas and theorems, suddenly could not understand at all what these cold statements on the light screen actually meant.

Death?

Those two people, just like that, died?

After a long while, Gao Jie Ming, sitting in the comfortable chair and gazing at the light screen before him that kept flashing the death notifications, finally came to his senses.

Instinctively, his first impulse was to stand up and do something!

Anger?

Revenge?

Or perhaps, to go and verify this nothingness death?

But immediately after, he slumped back into his seat dejectedly.

In his previous life, perhaps he could have attended his friends' funerals to see them off on their final journey.

Or gone to their homes to comfort their relatives.

But in this world, wizards did not seem to have such customs.

Even more cruelly, Gao Jie Ming suddenly realized he did not even know to whom he should speak about this matter.

For wizards, death was far too common.

So much so that their concepts regarding this aspect were worlds apart from Gao Jie Ming's.

Moreover, although Gao Jie Ming had known Victor and Amy for many years, he knew absolutely nothing about their family situations.

He was not even clear on what family members they had.

Only at this moment did Gao Jie Ming truly realize that even though he had transmigrated to this perilous world of wizards for so many years, deep in his heart he was still that ordinary person from his previous life.

He still possessed the most primitive and purest obsession that ordinary people hold toward life and friendship.

Sitting in the chair, Gao Jie Ming remained motionless, thinking for a long time.

Ultimately, he still sent a message to Senior Sister Viola regarding the news of Victor and Amy's deaths.

Because he still remembered that back in the Elosia plane, Amy had seemed to mention that Viola was a friend of her parents.

Contrary to Gao Jie Ming's expectations, not long after the message was sent, Viola initiated a communication request with incredible speed.

Gao Jie Ming hesitated for a moment, but ultimately answered the communication.

Seeing Viola's face appear on the light screen, bearing a hint of mockery, Gao Jie Ming suddenly regretted telling her about this matter.

"Oh my~~ dear junior brother~" Viola's malicious voice rang loudly from the communicator, "This is too rare! Your pained expression over a friend's death is one in a million among the wizards I know! It truly makes me feel so—comfortable!"

Hearing this, a surge of anger instantly welled up in Gao Jie Ming's heart.

He clenched his fists tightly; though angry, reason told him that Viola's reaction and words were the most "normal" response to life and death among the old-guard wizards of this wizard world.

Pain was his own affair, unrelated to others.

Indeed, unless one was well-acquainted, no one would care at all.

"No, a proper wizard wouldn't truly feel pleasure from watching my suffering," Gao Jie Ming quietly added in the depths of his heart as he looked at Viola's appearance.

Immediately after, a "thump" sounded from the light screen.

It seemed like the sound of Viola being yanked away from before the screen and tossed aside.

Then, Tutor Clark's familiar and majestic voice of reprimand came from the background, carrying a trace of helplessness and exhaustion: "Viola! Stop fooling around! Hurry up and finish organizing today's data!"

Then, Tutor Clark's face, which still looked disheveled and slightly balding, replaced Viola's before the light screen.

Compared to Viola's earlier schadenfreude, Clark's expression was much more normal.

Without mockery, he simply calmly examined Gao Jie Ming's somewhat depressed and bewildered appearance.

Then, Clark's hoarse voice came through the light screen:

"This is caused by your current excessive 'immaturity.' Gao Jie Ming, your current mindset shows that you are essentially still an ordinary mortal, not a truly mature wizard."

"However, it doesn't matter. After experiencing such things a few more times, you will become a truly mature wizard."

Hearing Clark's seemingly cruel words, a warm current surged through Gao Jie Ming's heart: "Sorry to trouble you, Tutor..."

He looked at Tutor Clark on the light screen, his eyes filled with gratitude.

He knew very well that for Viola to specially reply to his message during such a busy time, and to provoke him in that "improper" way, must have been with Tutor Clark's permission, or even arrangement.

Furthermore, the speed of their reply was certainly no coincidence.

They must be constantly monitoring his psychological state.

It was just that wizards were indeed not good at comforting people.

Therefore, both of them could only use this method, attempting to dilute his sorrow and confusion in their unique wizardly understanding, to help him transform as quickly as possible.

Tutor Clark's unkempt face did not remain on the light screen for long.

After analyzing Gao Jie Ming's current state, he simply nodded calmly at Gao Jie Ming, as if dealing with a trivial matter, before decisively cutting off the communication.

However, just before the communication fully disconnected, Gao Jie Ming could still hear Viola's truly tragic wailing.

Watching the light screen extinguish instantly, Gao Jie Ming blinked in a daze.

The laboratory returned to its usual silence, with only the faint hum of alchemical instruments echoing.

Yet for some reason, after experiencing Viola's harsh "mockery" and Tutor Clark's bland "preaching," he felt that his mind, disturbed by the news of his friend's death, had strangely recovered considerably.

It was a very strange feeling, as if a heavy boulder pressing on his chest had been forcibly pried open a crack by a rough and direct method, allowing sunlight to filter through.

Shaking his head, Gao Jie Ming temporarily suppressed those chaotic thoughts, trying to immerse himself once again in the research on modifying the Lava Golem.

Tutor Clark was very right; for wizards, the exploration of knowledge is the eternal theme.

Any emotional fluctuations will eventually be smoothed out by the long river of time.

(Extra update, one more chapter to come.)

(End of chapter)