Chapter 447: Chapter 388: Verification and Request
Several days later, at the center of the high tower laboratory, a three-dimensional light screen displayed multiple observational perspectives, transmitting real-time dynamics from various parts of the plane.
Jeming stood before the main control panel, his gaze sharply scanning the continuously updated data stream, as he reported steadily:
"Experiment Sequence Seven, Phase Three beginning. Observational target: newly introduced ’Choking Vine’ intelligent variant, entering Battlefield Zone No. 7 on the plain."
On the screen, a new type of activated vine, with its body covered in dark brown nodular growths and a sturdy, resilient form, was advancing towards the distant battlefield, its speed belying its clumsy appearance, where light flickered and vines thrashed.
"According to Lord Starfall’s design, the ’Choking Vine’ and the early awakening ’Magic-Eating Vine’ have partially overlapping ecological niches, both requiring rare minerals in the soil."
"In terms of aesthetic perception, the ’Choking Vine’ favors a ’solid’ and ’heavy’ orientation, theoretically differing more from the ’streamlined’ and ’luminous’ elemental creatures, while resonating with the ’twisted and coiled’ beauty of the ’Magic-Eating Vine.’"
As the new vine entered the edge of the battlefield, the radiant group elemental creatures, previously tangled with the ’Magic-Eating Vine,’ immediately reacted.
They, like a disturbed swarm of bees, diverted a stream of intense light, launching an unhesitating attack on the ’Choking Vine,’ with energy beams pouring down like raindrops.
However, the ’Magic-Eating Vine’ army on the other side of the battlefield showed a completely different reaction from before.
Unlike their immediate indiscriminate attacks on other intruders previously, they slowed their confrontation with the elemental creatures, as countless vine tips turned towards their new kin, cautiously "evaluating" them.
After a brief deadlock and observation, the ’Magic-Eating Vine’ collectively transmitted a wave of intense spiritual fluctuations.
Immediately, they turned their efforts to launch a swift joint attack with the newly arrived ’Choking Vine’ on that separated stream of radiant elemental creatures!
Already at a numerical disadvantage, the radiant elemental creatures quickly scattered under the combined strike of the two types of vines.
After the battle ended, the ’Magic-Eating Vine’ and ’Choking Vine’ did not immediately merge.
Instead, they maintained a distance, exchanging faint and complex spiritual signals, seemingly cautiously evaluating each other.
A moment later, both sides, with great tacit understanding, slowly retreated, each moving to opposite sides of the plain, leaving a scorched wasteland between them.
"Recording complete!" Jeming finished his report and looked beside him.
The Starfall Wizard was rapidly documenting on an auxiliary light screen, her face alight with uncontrollable excitement: "Success! Look! The activated plants exhibited entirely different reactions than when facing humans, various flesh creatures, or even the elemental creatures we temporarily awakened with activation stones!"
She pulled out previous experimental records for comparison: "Previously, whether it was a flesh monster or those angular rock men, entering their perception range would provoke relentless attacks from the ’Magic-Eating Vine’ and radiant elemental creatures indiscriminately. At that time, we almost assumed the ’aesthetic war’ hypothesis was incorrect."
"But now," Jeming interjected, also enlightened, "even among elemental creatures, in their eyes, there’s a vast ’aesthetic’ gap between ’radiance’ and ’rock.’ While plant lifeforms with certain morphological similarities, even with resource competition, can maintain restraint and even engage in limited cooperation upon initial contact."
The Starfall Wizard nodded vigorously: "Moreover, not all awakened creatures indiscriminately attack different kinds due to different aesthetic perceptions."
"It now appears that this extreme exclusivity, where ’aesthetics’ determine life or death, might just be specific to the combination of ’Magic-Eating Vine’ and ’Radiant Aggregation.’
She contemplatively rubbed her chin and proposed a new hypothesis: "I suspect that perhaps when I initially conducted the ’Spiritual Ignition,’ the technique wasn’t perfected, and unknown flaws existed."
"Or perhaps... at that time, my mental state—such as the urgent anticipation of experimental success or some subconscious recognition of the opposition between ’light’ and ’vine’ forms—subtly influenced the process of endowing them with wisdom through the imaginary elements, sculpting their unique and extreme cognitive model based on aesthetic appeal."
"This possibility is very high," Viola concurred, who had also researched imaginary elements, "Jeming’s imaginary elements are indeed susceptible to the user’s emotions and will. The ’contradictory’ perception you infused during their creation might have invisibly become the cornerstone of their intellectual core."
Jeming also acknowledged this analysis with a nod: "If so, we can attempt to design new experiments, maybe having the calm Anya lead a small-scale ’Spiritual Ignition’ to see if the newly birthed intelligent life still exhibits such extreme ’aesthetical prejudices.’"
"That’s a great idea!" The Starfall Wizard’s eyes lit up, but then her excited expression constricted, and an unusually awkward look surfaced as she rubbed her hands and looked at Jeming and Viola: "Umm... perhaps we can temporarily shelve the new experiment plan. At present, there’s a small matter that might require your assistance."
Viola raised an eyebrow: "Oh? What matter could trouble you, the Lord of Planes?"
The Starfall Wizard sighed and pointed to a specific underground region on the main screen, marked and flashing with high-energy warning signals constantly:
"It might be due to the high frequency of our recent experiments and the numerous ’odd-shaped’ test units released, creating a significant crisis for those two native intelligent species."
"Based on my monitoring of the plane’s energy flow and earth vein fluctuations... it seems that the radiant elemental creatures are up to something big underground. They appear to be amassing their entire clan’s energy to construct a supermassive... hmm, something akin to a self-destruct or energy annihilation core."
Jeming was puzzled: "If you want to stop it, with your control over the plane, you should be able to easily intervene, right?"
A Sixth Level Wizard in their domain, or manipulating the plane origin to suppress such localized disturbances, should theoretically be trivial.
The Starfall Wizard quickly waved her hand: "I don’t want to stop it! On the contrary, this is an excellent observational opportunity! Even if they indeed create something capable of tearing through the plane barriers, I am confident I can suppress it at the last moment. But..."
She paused, a hint of caution on her face: "To prevent any mishap from actually disrupting my laboratory... uh, I mean the plane, I need to remain tightly connected to and monitor the plane origin to ensure I can mobilize maximum authority for suppression at any time. Hence, I cannot afford any distractions."
She looked at the two, her eyes carrying a plea: "I hope you can help by collecting data close-up on the ’big bomb’ during its construction—energy gathering patterns, structural stability, the changing spiritual states of those radiant clusters, and so on. These firsthand materials are incredibly valuable! And, if possible..."
Her voice took on a hint of a researcher’s zeal: "It would be best to reveal yourselves and forcefully halt their actions right at the last moment when they think they are about to succeed!"
"In doing so, we can most directly observe the extreme fluctuations in their emotions resulting from a massive failure after expending the entire clan’s efforts in vain and how their intellect and social structures adapt... or collapse! That would be perfect!"
Jeming and Viola exchanged a glance, and they had no psychological burden regarding this request for "inciting" and "collecting tragic data," after all, these creatures were essentially experimental products.
Although these two races indeed had awakened spiritual wisdom, frankly speaking, how many intelligent creatures had died at the hands of wizards?
They nodded, agreeing to Starfall’s request.
Considering that Viola is also a Sixth Level Wizard, when Starfall needs to fully maintain the plane’s stability and is unable to multitask, it is most appropriate for her to oversee the laboratory, operating the numerous observational arrays and emergency facilities spread throughout the plane.
Thus, the division of labor was quickly determined: Viola stayed at the tower’s core, overseeing the overall situation.
While Jeming, accompanied by the highly sensitive-to-elements and life-perception Anya, personally headed to the turbulent underground region to "observe" the elemental clusters’ ultimate plan up close.
And prepare to deliver a "surprise" from the "ugly flesh monsters" at the critical moment.
(Taking tomorrow off in advance, as it’s the beginning of the month and there’s much to handle, aiming to settle everything directly tomorrow.)
