Chapter 254: The Spatial Distortion Zone
When Jie Ming arrived punctually at the agreed meeting point and saw Senior Jack, he noticed eleven unfamiliar wizards standing beside him, their expressions varied but their auras generally weak.
“Senior Jack,” Jie Ming greeted with a nod.
Jack’s face lit up with a faint smile upon seeing Jie Ming. “You’re here, right on time.”
After exchanging greetings, Jack shook his head with a trace of regret. “Alas, after searching for so long, this is all I could gather.”
Looking at the eleven wizards behind Jack, Jie Ming nodded in understanding.
It was clear that, at this stage, forming a team for a cooperative mission was no easy task. In the eyes of all wizards, the “Void Plane” was an untapped treasure trove. Rather than venturing into the mysterious and risky “Spatial Distortion Zone” for a fixed-reward rescue mission, most wizards preferred to fly off to distant regions in search of more readily available resources.
Thus, aside from Jie Ming, who had his own motives, the other wizards Jack managed to recruit were not particularly strong. Based on the auras Jie Ming sensed, they were mostly First-Order Wizards, their energies still unstable, likely having just advanced and lacking in strength. Their weaker power was precisely why they opted for this seemingly less dangerous mission to earn rewards.
This also explained why Jack had been so delighted when he learned that Jie Ming, a capable Second-Order Wizard, was willing to help. In terms of controlling soul contracts, a single Second-Order Wizard was worth ten First-Order Wizards.
Their conversation drew the attention of the others, but no one seemed inclined to make introductions—not even Jack. After confirming everyone was present, he promptly led the team away from the camp, flying toward a pre-marked destination in the distance.Jie Ming and the eleven newly recruited wizards followed silently behind, leaving the camp together.
The group flew at high speed through the featureless white expanse for six full days before finally arriving at an area that appeared indistinguishable from its surroundings.
As they approached, Jack cautiously halted and turned to address the group. “Up ahead is the ‘Spatial Distortion Zone.’ Stay close behind me and don’t stray.”
Jie Ming’s expression grew serious. He carefully observed the vast expanse ahead but found nothing unusual. The area looked unremarkable, even the floating white mist blending seamlessly with the surroundings. There were no signs of energy fluctuations, and his scouting spells yielded no useful feedback.
Only when Jie Ming cautiously activated his All-Purpose Eye, narrowing his vision to a small sector a few meters ahead, did he faintly detect traces of spatial flow—ripples like water waves, subtly distorting the space.
“The danger of this spatial distortion… it’s far beyond what I expected,” Jie Ming thought, a chill running through him. Without specialized detection methods, an ordinary wizard could crash into this zone and die without ever knowing why.
At that moment, Jack pulled out a metallic, bird-shaped magical artifact from his robe. After infusing it with a thread of mental energy, he gently released it. The bird artifact sprang to life, transforming into a streak of light that vanished into the dense mist ahead.
Moments later, as the group waited in confusion, Levin Mills’ figure abruptly appeared a few hundred meters ahead. His appearance was so sudden it seemed as if he had always been there.
Jack visibly relaxed. Turning to the newly recruited wizards, he carefully instructed, “Remember the spot where that wizard just appeared. It’s the only stable entry point we’ve found for safely entering this ‘Spatial Distortion Zone.’ You must strictly follow a specific flight path to enter—and to leave.”
Jack then led the group forward, navigating a peculiar S-shaped trajectory toward Levin Mills’ position.
As Jie Ming followed, he keenly noticed small, faintly glowing orbs hidden within the dense mist—likely signal markers used as reference points in this featureless zone. He silently memorized the complex flight path and the relative positions of these orbs. He wasn’t alone; the other hired wizards were doing the same.
“Levin, what’s the situation inside?” Jack asked as they finally reached Levin Mills.
Levin Mills gave a curt nod to the new wizards, acknowledging Jie Ming specifically before responding to Jack with a shake of his head. “The distorted space is larger than we anticipated, and the search area keeps growing. The first batch of scouting beasts we deployed is nearing their control range limit, but we’ve found nothing so far.”
He glanced at Jie Ming and the others behind Jack, frowning slightly, clearly unimpressed with their strength and numbers. “This is all you could recruit?”
Jack, sensing his dissatisfaction, sighed helplessly. “Most wizards out there are busy exploiting the richer resources of the Void Plane. They don’t have time for this. Finding these people was already a stretch.”
Levin Mills nodded, understanding the situation but still visibly frustrated. Without further comment, he motioned for the group to follow him into the “Spatial Distortion Zone.”
To the new wizards, it seemed as though Jack and Levin Mills simply flew forward a short distance before vanishing, as if erased from a painting.
The remaining wizards hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances. Jie Ming, having already scanned the area with his All-Purpose Eye and confirmed its relative safety, boldly flew forward first.
As he reached the spot where the two had disappeared, he cautiously extended his hand. Instantly, the scene before him shifted.
Jack and Levin Mills reappeared in front of him.
So this was the “Spatial Distortion Zone”? There was no sensation during the spatial jump!
Jie Ming’s heart sank. If a wizard unknowingly stumbled into such a place in the wild, they might not even realize they were trapped in a deadly maze.
Then, something felt off. In his vision, Jack and Levin Mills appeared to be standing upside down. A powerful pulling force tugged at him from above, as if trying to drag him upward.
Realizing the truth, Jie Ming adjusted himself. It wasn’t them who were upside down—he was the one flying inverted!
And… this “Spatial Distortion Zone” had gravity?!
Seeing the two standing steadily on a thick, cloud-like mist, Jie Ming quickly reoriented himself and carefully descended. To his surprise, the soft-looking mist was solid enough to stand on, though it felt slightly illusory, sinking underfoot like soft cotton. While it couldn’t fully support his weight, the misty ground provided sufficient gravitational pull.
The other wizards followed, each reacting to the zone’s strangeness. Levin Mills, noticing their confusion, smiled and explained, “This is the most unique feature of this ‘Spatial Distortion Zone.’ Large amounts of matter, likely pulled in from elsewhere, have converged here, creating a rare gravitational field in the Void Plane.”
“However, you’d best maintain flight. These mist clouds forming the ‘ground’ contain dense wind elements, and there may be small, hidden ‘spatial distortions’ within them. If you sink into the mist, you might get lucky and be randomly teleported elsewhere in this zone. If you’re unlucky, you could be torn apart by chaotic spatial currents.”
“Fortunately, the dense wind elements have gathered at the periphery, forming this ‘distorted space.’ The area above this ‘ground’ is relatively stable, so flying here is safer.”
Jie Ming, who had been curiously testing the mist with his foot, instinctively lifted himself higher upon hearing Levin’s warning, as did the other newly arrived wizards.