Chapter 512
Decision
Chapter 512 Decision
Jemin did not try to contact Blake.
After all, he is currently in phase space and has no way to send information to the outside world.
If one dares to leave the phase space, it's tantamount to setting up a target.
Jemin calmed himself down and remained still in the gap of phase space. His gaze, like a precise scanner, swept inch by inch over the jagged rock pillars, the gray sand, and the energy-poor sky below.
When the Body Tempering Method is in full operation, the extreme sensitivity to "environmental harmony" and "self-existence" is elevated to the extreme.
He no longer seeks "abnormal energy sources" or "hidden life forms," but instead focuses on whether the "overall state of being" of this area is harmonious and complete.
Time passed in silence.
One minute, two minutes...
Finally, after the body tempering method had undergone several more adaptive evolutions, Jemin noticed something amiss.
About three hundred meters to his left front, a seemingly ordinary, grayish-white boulder, no different from the other rock pillars, appeared to have an extremely subtle "incongruity" in Jemin's perception.
It felt like in a perfectly copied painting, a small patch of paint had a subtle difference in texture and age from the rest of the work.
Although the other party also concealed their presence, their method of concealment differed from Blake's approach of "completely erasing their own existence."
This wizard seems to have adjusted his "existence attributes" to be completely consistent with the surrounding environment, like the most skillful camouflage, so that even if you see him, you will subconsciously classify him as part of the background.
It's difficult to say which approach is better or worse, but both are undoubtedly extremely challenging.
Jemin didn't alert the enemy.
He didn't even have any intention of making a move. Instead, he quietly withdrew from the area along the path he had come from, at a slower and more cautious pace.
He only released his stealth state after returning to the vicinity of the starting point where he entered the phase space, ensuring that his presence would not cause trouble for Blake.
He immediately sent a message to Blake via encrypted channel: [A lurker has been detected. He is a soul-type, and his stealth technique is advanced 'environmental assimilation.' Besides him, are there any other traces of enemies within the detectable area?]
Blake's reply came quickly, clearly indicating he had been on edge: "[Nothing detected. The opponent is a spirit-type, likely prioritizing stealth and solo efficiency; the possibility of nearby teammates coordinating with them is low.]"
He paused, then the message continued: "But he's likely like us, with 'rescuers' or 'combat teams' waiting further behind. I detected the 'anomaly,' and he probably sensed the discord too, just hasn't pinpointed my exact location yet. What do we do now? Fight, or retreat?"
Jemin fell into a brief moment of thought.
Retreat is the safest option.
Both are masters of stealth, and a conflict is unlikely to erupt unless they can pinpoint each other's exact location. Retreating now would most likely leave the other unable to pursue.
But... what does it mean for a frontier area to be personally guarded by such a highly skilled soul-type wizard?
There must be an even bigger secret, a bigger "fish" behind it.
Where there are large fish, there is a high probability that a level six wizard is stationed.
Risk and opportunity are like two ends of a balance scale.
A moment later, Jemin made his decision. He quickly replied to Blake: [You leave immediately and send back to camp as urgent intelligence, including the coordinates of this area, the discovery of a high-level soul-type infiltrator, and a risk assessment of any potential 'important targets' in the rear.]
And what about you?
Jemin continued typing: "I'll stay and conduct a reconnaissance mission. If there really is a Level 6, it will be easier for me to escape alone, without having to worry about my companions." This was the most reasonable division of labor.
Blake is skilled in infiltration and intelligence transmission; having him send back critical information is of immense value.
With his strong survivability and mobility, Jemin can take risks to conduct deeper explorations, and even if he encounters a powerful enemy, he is confident of escaping.
Blake was silent for a few seconds, seemingly making a final decision.
A reply came quickly: [Understood. I will safely send the intelligence back. Be careful; veterans of the soul-based system often use dirty tricks. Keep the channel silent. I will leave a one-way warning marker at a safe distance. If a high-level battle breaks out on your end, the marker will alert me.]
Jemin's eyelids twitched as he looked at Blake's reply, feeling that this guy might have accidentally cursed himself as well.
【receive. 】
The communication channel fell completely silent.
Jemin knew that Blake should be quietly moving away from this dangerous area.
Without further delay, he took a deep breath, re-entered the phase space, and once again covered the outer layer with the spiritual power of the Five Elements Rainbow Mirror, maximizing the concealment effect.
Then, he once again moved "slowly" toward that coordinate point, the location of the lurker, with practiced ease.
He quickly returned to the area of rock pillars and located the "incongruous" giant rock.
From the perspective of phase space, there is a faint, almost invisible humanoid outline on the surface of the rock, almost blending into the environment.
This is also why Jemin has improved his observation skills through body tempering techniques; otherwise, under normal circumstances, even a level six wizard wouldn't be able to discover the problem in this area.
Separated by the barrier of phase space, Jemin was unable to accurately perceive the other party's soul strength level.
However, he speculated that the other party was most likely level five.
If a level six soul-type wizard were stationed here, given his control over soul fluctuations and his range of perception, Blake would probably have been identified on his first attempt to investigate, without even having time to issue a warning.
Even so, a level 5 soul wizard specializing in stealth and reconnaissance is definitely a troublesome scout.
After thinking for a moment, Jemin did not act immediately.
Since there is a high possibility that there is a level six wizard behind the enemy, we definitely cannot rush in recklessly.
At the very least, we must fully arm ourselves before launching an attack.
He released the dozen or so floating cannons from his inner cavern again and equipped them with the spiritual power of the Five Elements Rainbow Mirror.
Like a swarm of living metal bees, the floating cannons silently hovered in the phase space behind Jemin, their muzzles slightly adjusted to lock onto the blurry figure below.
Then he checked all the protective gear and magical artifacts he had attached to himself again to make sure there were no problems.
Jemin then took out the speed-enhancing magic artifact and activated it to accelerate himself.
After making sure he was fully armed, Jemin waited patiently, silently calculating the time in his mind to make sure Blake was far enough away to be safe enough.
(Bonus chapter, one more to go.)
(End of this chapter)