Chapter 427

Jie Ming remained silent for a moment, digesting all the information.

The Star-Caster's layout was never a simple reinforcement from the beginning, but a stress test targeting time-space weapons.

And they, the wizards struggling, researching, and fighting within the cycle, were all indispensable variables in this test—himself included.

A deduction emerged naturally.

Jie Ming raised his head, looking at the projection of the Tier 8 wizard before him. His tone was no longer a simple inquiry, but a probe bordering on confirmation:

"So, you came to find me specifically this time because... I, or rather the influence generated by my actions, have already caused the 'variables' accumulated within this plane to reach the edge of overload?"

He no longer used "variables" as a general term for the support troops, but pointed it at himself.

Because he knew very clearly that his own existence—maintaining complete memories through the cave-heaven within his body and body-tempering techniques, and using this as a core to drive the high-speed iteration of the entire research system—was itself an unplanned "variable."

His behavioral patterns, the research acceleration he brought, and the series of paradox experiments he conducted all added immeasurable weight outside of the "variable injection" formula set by Artelius.

A satisfied smile of approval appeared on the face of Artelius's projection.

"You guessed correctly," he admitted frankly. "It is precisely because of your efforts, and the chain reactions you brought, that the 'information contradictions' and 'rule disturbances' that need to be processed within this plane have surged sharply in a short period."

"According to my observations and calculations, the 'thing' manipulating the time reversal is already very close to its limit threshold. You are a wonderful accident in my plan, and also the key catalyst accelerating the process."

A flash of excitement crossed Jie Ming's eyes.

But the excitement was only a flash, and more practical confusion followed.

He frowned slightly and raised that still-unsolved question: "But even if it is approaching overload, up until now, we still haven't been able to locate the whereabouts of its 'main body.' We don't know what it is, where it is hidden, or in what form it exists. Even if the opponent is overloaded, we still cannot find that guy's main body."

Without finding the target, even if the opponent is truly overloaded and loses the ability to create time reversals, it has no meaning.

Because what wizards need is to research the opponent, not to solve an insignificant plane.

Artelius nodded, not surprised by this question.

His expression remained calm, as if he had already thought about it countless times.

"You are right, we cannot find it," he first affirmed Jie Ming's confusion, then immediately changed the subject, "but why must we be the ones to find it?"

Jie Ming was startled.

The Star-Caster's tone carried a certainty of controlling the overall situation: "Wouldn't it be better to let it take the initiative to find us?"

Take the initiative to find us?

This thought was like a spark, instantly igniting the clues in Jie Ming's mind.

Although most of the time, that unknown existence seemed to be just a rigid program, it could be seen in certain matters that the "existence" or "program" hidden behind the reincarnation mechanism was not completely dead; it possessed a certain level of "reaction" and "response" capability.

A system pushed to the limit, a "thing" that perceives its own existence is about to collapse—what will it do?

"Clear the threat..." Jie Ming whispered to himself, his train of thought suddenly clearing up, "When there are too many variables to process and system overload is imminent, its most direct instinctive reaction is to clear the 'source' that caused the surge in variables, or at least the most major 'anomaly point' it can identify!"

And in this plane, who is the most conspicuous "anomaly point" most likely to cause the complexity of information processing to soar?

It is that group of wizards who have obtained time anchoring, complete memories, and whose research capabilities have advanced by leaps and bounds.

And in this group, who is the earliest, most core "variable" initiator?

Jie Ming's gaze met Artelius's projection, and the answer was self-evident.

"It will... target me?" Jie Ming said, but there was not much fear in his heart, but rather excitement.

"This is a reasonable speculation," Artelius did not deny it. "A highly specialized system serving war likely includes 'decapitation' or 'clearing key disturbance sources' in its crisis-handling logic. When conventional 'reincarnation trial and error' cannot eliminate the threat and is instead pushed to the limit by the threat, activating a deeper clearing protocol is logical."

"Although there are lethal skills like time paradoxes targeting high-level enemies, I, who have already thoroughly researched the time paradox mechanism of this plane, certainly cannot make such a low-level mistake..." Jie Ming subconsciously continued.

"So the opponent's most likely action is to take direct action to eliminate me!"

Having figured this out, Jie Ming became even more worried: "But even if it takes the initiative to 'clear' me, will it necessarily lead us to its core?"

This is the most helpless point.

The opponent masters time; it can launch attacks from any "past" or "possible future."

The corners of Artelius's projection's mouth hooked into a profound arc, a confidence based on the level of knowledge reserves.

"Don't worry about this point," his voice was steady and powerful. "Investigating to this extent, combined with the time manipulation characteristics this thing has displayed, I have basically gained a clue about its 'hiding' method."

"It cannot truly leave this plane; its 'existence' must be deeply bound to the plane's time-space structure. Simply put, after all the prerequisites are collected, the conjectures about this guy's hiding methods can basically be narrowed down to within three."

"The reason I can't find that guy's main body now is merely because I lack one most critical clue... as long as the opponent takes action, it can provide the final clue fragment."

Wizard Artelius paused for a moment, his gaze seeming to penetrate Jie Ming and look deeper: "The real purpose of my coming to find you this time is to prepare for this."

Jie Ming listened intently.

"I need to leave a special 'mark' on you," Artelius said directly. "This mark has two functions: one is to establish and maintain an extremely hidden one-way connection."

"When that 'thing' takes some unconventional action against you, or against what it determines to be a 'key threat' due to overload pressure, especially when it uses deeper time permissions or exposes more main body characteristics, this mark will allow me to perceive the many changes triggered by its actions at the first moment."

"In addition, this mark itself also contains a strand of my power. It cannot guarantee that you are absolutely safe under any attack, but at the very least, it can buy you a sliver of... a chance to save your life at the most critical moment."

In short, this is both a top-level "detector" and a "talisman."

Jie Ming had almost no hesitation; he nodded: "I understand, I accept."

This had a hundred benefits and no harm for him.

It could both cooperate with the Star-Caster's ultimate plan to uncover the final mystery and gain an extra layer of protection.

As for the risk of being a "bait"... from the moment he stepped into this plane, the risk had never been far away.

By comparison, a clear target and the secret attention of a Tier 8 wizard actually made him feel more at ease.

Artelius did not say anything more, nor were there any complex spellcasting actions or energy fluctuations.

He just nodded gently at Jie Ming, his gaze profound, as if condensing countless pieces of information and instructions into this one glance.

"Then," the Star-Caster's voice became ethereal, and the edges of the projection began to ripple and fade like a reflection in water, "next, just wait quietly for your good news."

As the words fell, the simple figure quietly vanished from the air of the laboratory like pencil marks erased by an eraser.

No trace of energy residue or spatial disturbance was left, as if it had never appeared.

Jie Ming stood where he was, quietly feeling for a moment.

There was nothing unusual about his body, and his soul did not perceive any extra burden or sense of foreign objects.

But he knew that the "mark" left by Artelius must have already been anchored in his existence in a way he could not currently understand.

He cast his gaze back to the macroscopic chart in front of him, his mood now completely different.

The hunter had laid out the final bait and trap, while the prey... was perhaps preparing to launch a fatal blow from its nest that slept with time.

(End of chapter)