Chapter 437: Inventorying Gains and Return

A hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye.

The witch expeditionary base originally established around the Reincarnation Plane 's temple has now shrunk to less than half its original size.

Even the ground-level camps have been raised into the upper atmosphere to better study the overall structure of the Reincarnation Plane.

The temporary teleportation arrays designed for combat witches were shut down decades ago, leaving only a few large, stable portals for logistics and research personnel, emitting a faint blue glow.

Inside the base, the once-crowded research zones are now far more spacious.

Gao Jie Ming walked through the transparent corridor connecting the laboratories, his feet suspended thirty thousand meters above ground, offering a view of the Reincarnation Plane 's surface, reshaped by the Time Paradox Generator.

"Researcher Gao Jie Ming, this is your final batch of archived data."

A floating silver construct drifted beside him, projecting a holographic screen.

The screen displayed dense streams of data, mostly concerning the underlying rune-interaction models of the Time Paradox Generator.

Gao Jie Ming glanced at it and shook his head lightly: "Archive it. Seventh-sequence encryption."

"Executed." The construct emitted a steady electronic tone. "Also, Professor Atlas asks if you will attend tomorrow's 'Time Anchor Stability' symposium."

"Decline on my behalf—I'm preparing to leave."

As he spoke these words, a complex emotion stirred within Gao Jie Ming.

Decades ago, when combat witches completed their sample-collection mission against the Scythe-Headed and began withdrawing within a few short years, Gao Jie Ming and other logistics witches chose to stay behind.

In the first few decades, Gao Jie Ming gained immensely.

The senior witches in the Logistics Research Division, whose average age exceeded eight thousand years, possessed insights into the laws of time that opened Gao Jie Ming's eyes.

He absorbed knowledge like a sponge, cross-referencing the cultivation techniques on time recorded in the Great Dao Library with the witches' temporal knowledge, progressing so rapidly that even his senior mentors were astonished.

But changes began to emerge over the last thirty years.

As research into the Time Paradox Generator entered deeper waters, the questions discussed by the Logistics Research Division grew increasingly abstract.

The theoretical models now extended beyond four-dimensional spacetime to high-dimensional topology, mathematical descriptions of causal logic, and quantum decoherence effects in timelines…

Three years ago, at a symposium, Gao Jie Ming realized he could no longer fully follow the lead witch's derivations.

A year ago, he had to consult references just to understand the definitions of certain technical terms.

And just last week, when he tried reading the core paper in the latest issue of the Journal of Applied Time Paradox Studies, a crushing sense of helplessness descended upon him like a collapsing sky—not because he couldn't read the words, but because he could not grasp the layered, nested theoretical frameworks behind them.

"A wall of knowledge…"

Gao Jie Ming murmured softly, dejected, as he walked toward his private research chamber.

The chamber's interior had been expanded multiple times and now spanned the size of a plaza.

Along the walls stood twelve large data storage cores, each glowing with light representing different knowledge categories.

In the center was a holographic projection platform, upon which floated a 3D model of the Reincarnation Plane, countless light points flowing within it, marking phenomena generated during the Time Paradox Generator's operation.

Gao Jie Ming did not immediately begin packing; instead, he walked to a row of growth tanks on the eastern side of the chamber.

Inside the tanks floated a dozen sleeping Scythe-Headed individuals.

These were samples he had deliberately preserved from the final Reincarnation a century ago.

Even in stasis, these high-level insectoid beings retained a metallic sheen on their chitinous carapaces, and their scythe-like forelimbs radiated danger even when motionless.

"According to contribution allocation, I can still claim one complete Level-7 Scythe-Headed body…" Gao Jie Ming tapped his chin, calculating. "As specially modified biological weapons, these materials—if properly utilized—could raise the average combat power of the cannon-fodder legions by half a tier."

He waved his hand, storing the growth tanks within his internal dantian, then began methodically organizing his century's accumulation.

First, military merit tally.

A holographic screen projected from his personal terminal displayed clear figures:

【Low-Level Military Merit Balance: 15,271,027,458 points】

【High-Level Military Merit Balance: 1,003,200 points】

Most of the low-level military merit came from technology royalties of the "Self-Stabilizing Field Regulation Protocol."

After over a century, this technology had accumulated over ten billion low-level military merit.

The remaining hundred million or so were the direct gains from this century's work in the Reincarnation Plane.

"I didn't deliberately scavenge materials during the final Reincarnation —this number is reasonable," Gao Jie Ming calculated internally. "But if I add the estimated value of the Level-7 Scythe-Headed body, my total gains should reach around thirty million low-level military merit… For an ordinary Level-4 witch, that's already astronomical."

More valuable still were the high-level military merit.

A century ago, he had spent most of the one million high-level military merit he earned, leaving him with just over eight hundred thousand.

These were primarily used to purchase cutting-edge knowledge on law research and plane construction.

This time, due to his performance in the time Reincarnation, he caught the attention of the Starforge Altrius, who awarded him an additional twenty thousand high-level military merit, bringing his total back above one million.

"One million high-level military merit…" Gao Jie Ming's eyes gleamed with thought. "Once I return, I might finally try acquiring the thing I've wanted."

He suppressed these thoughts for now and turned his focus to the true centerpiece: knowledge gains.

With a mental command, the twelve data storage cores in the chamber lit up simultaneously, flooding the holographic platform with torrents of information for archiving.

First knowledge repository: 【Time Paradox Generator Research Archive】.

This was the essence of a century of research by the Logistics Division, containing the collective efforts of the expedition's top logistics witches.

Though Gao Jie Ming could no longer comprehend the latest findings—rendering him unable to contribute meaningfully in the last few decades—he had fully recorded and preliminarily absorbed all foundational theories, experimental data, failed cases, and successful models from the first seventy years.

Honestly, had he not confirmed that his remaining time here offered far less return than continuing his research in the Hellfire Sulfur Plane, Gao Jie Ming would never have wanted to leave.

Second knowledge repository: 【Scythe-Headed Biology Research】.

Not merely the surface-level data needed by combat witches, but also the insect civilization's social structure, evolution path of its transcendental systems, and technological development logic…

Gao Jie Ming even reverse-engineered several potential "civilizational leap" bottlenecks the Scythe-Headed might face—knowledge of immense value for refining his Black Giant social attribute experiments.

Gao Jie Ming even reverse-engineered several possible "civilizational leap" bottlenecks of the Scythe Skull race, knowledge of vital reference value for refining the social attributes experiment of the Black Giants.

Anomalous alchemical reactions under time-disrupted conditions, causal stability corrections for rune arrays, stress-distribution models of planes under temporal reversal pressure…

Each repository represented deep specialization in a distinct field.

He closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into his spiritual sea.

Within that strange space constructed by the Witch Truth Ring, two personified bands of law slowly flowed.

One was the pale gold "Spiritual Energy Law," now elevated from 12% mastery a century ago to 12.5%.

Though this 0.5% increase seemed minor, given the universal difficulty of advancing in law research, it was a considerable gain.

More importantly, this 0.5% was gained through "cross-pollination" while studying time law—without dedicating any additional dedicated research time.

Gao Jie Ming calculated: "At this pace, if I focus solely on Spiritual Energy Law research, combined with feedback from the Hellfire Sulfur Plane's incense deity path, I could reach 100% within a millennium…"

Honestly, this progress rate was astonishing.

Though not as fast as dedicated study, it was far from poor.

If this speed became known, it would make most witches envious.

But what truly concerned Gao Jie Ming was the other law—the silver-mercury-like band of "Time Law."

A century ago, his mastery of Time Law was nearly zero, having only acquired fragments from a trace of Water Element Plane's origin long ago.

But the Water Element Plane's origin carried more than just time-related knowledge, so Gao Jie Ming's understanding never reached the minimum threshold to form a visible band on the Truth Ring.

Now, not only had a band formed, but its solidity had reached 0.9%.

"0.9%… just a hair's breadth from meeting the Level-4 witch standard for specialized time knowledge." Gao Jie Ming mused internally.

"And if I convert 0.9% Time Law mastery into military merit value…"

Time-related plane origins, due to their convenience and uniqueness, consistently traded at a 30% premium over standard plane origins.

One standard unit of plane origin was commonly priced at ten million low-level military merit in the Star Ring Federation market; time origins fetched thirteen million.

0.9% mastery equaled nine units of time origin.

That amounted to one hundred seventeen million low-level military merit.

"A single plane war—just from knowledge gains—is worth over a hundred million…" Gao Jie Ming nodded in satisfaction.

Gao Jie Ming's gains from this plane war were extraordinary.

Typically, a Level-1 combat witch entering a plane war, absent extraordinary luck, might net only a few thousand low-level military merit in total.

Level-2 witches earned tens of thousands; Level-3 witches, hundreds of thousands; ordinary Level-4 witches, barely over a million.

These figures included all collected knowledge and resources converted into military merit. Yet Gao Jie Ming's pure low-level military merit alone already matched that sum.

Not to mention the high-level military merit, which was unattainable for most mid- and low-tier witches, and the vast, unconverted knowledge reserves.

But upon reflection, this aligned perfectly with the internal logic of witch civilization.

Knowledge—especially high-tier knowledge—was the most precious resource.

"That's why witch organizations place such emphasis on the logistics research system…" Gao Jie Ming mused. "On the front lines, warriors fight and bleed for mere 'revenue'—but the 'mines' unearthed by logistics research are the true profits."

Having organized all his gains, Gao Jie Ming began packing his personal belongings.

Most lab equipment was standard-issue from the base and required return.

His own devices needed careful disassembly and storage within his internal dantian.

The process took half a day.

When the final core component was safely sealed, Gao Jie Ming stood in the center of the now-empty chamber, surveying his surroundings.

A hundred years—perhaps a third of his life—had passed within these walls.

The nights spent deriving models, the moments of exhilaration or confusion over experimental data, the heated debates with Logistics Division colleagues that ended in sudden clarity…

Those nights spent deducing models, those moments of excitement or confusion over experimental data, those intense debates with colleagues from the Logistics Research Division that ended in sudden clarity...

He whispered, turning toward the teleportation zone.

Occasionally, he passed other logistics witches preparing to depart; they nodded in greeting, offering no further pleasantries.

Witch interactions were typically this way—rational, restrained.

Especially after long-term research projects ended, everyone rushed home to digest their gains and advance their own studies.

Especially after such a long-term research project ends, everyone is eager to return and process their gains, advancing their own research.

In the teleportation hall, Altius the Artificer's deputy—a Level Seven Wizard—was handling the final evacuation procedures.

"Researcher Gao Jie Ming, confirm departure from the Reincarnation Dimension Research Project?" the deputy's voice was calm and unflinching.

"Confirmed."

"Your contribution evaluation is complete. Additional reward: one complete Level Seven Scythe Skull creature body, teleported to your personal storage at Plane Nuolun 147 Academy. Retrieve it using your identity code."

"Understood."

"Additionally, Lord Altius asked me to pass on a message." The deputy raised his head, his eyes—seeming to hold starlight—fixing on Gao Jie Ming. "'Your research path is fascinating. Keep going.'"

Gao Jie Ming paused slightly, then bowed deeply. "Thank you, Lord Artificer, for your affirmation."

The teleportation array activated.

A deep blue light enveloped his entire body; space twisted and folded.

In the final instant before being fully swallowed by the teleportation glow, Gao Jie Ming turned his head for one last look.

Through the hall's observation window, the strange land of the Reincarnation Dimension shimmered with a metallic sheen under the sun.

Though the Time Paradox Generator had ceased operation, its traces would persist in this dimension.

The next moment, the world spun wildly.

When his vision cleared again, he stood on the Plane Nuolun 147 Academy's dedicated teleportation square.

Familiar elemental energies washed over him; distant Wizard Towers cast long shadows in the sunlight, and occasional wizards flew past on aerial magical devices.

Everything was unchanged from when he had left a century ago.

Gao Jie Ming's return was perfectly timed—he arrived just as the new students were enrolling.

Watching the new students, clutching their own equipment, marveling at the streets around them, and occasionally spotting him with wide-eyed awe, Gao Jie Ming felt a profound sense of things remaining, yet people changed:

"Before I knew it, I've become a proper Wizard…"

(That's all for today. I need to sort out the plot ahead.)

(End of Chapter)