I, a cultivator, have ended up in the wizarding world.

Chapter 227 Death and Mentality

Jemin plunged headlong into the laboratory, relentlessly researching the secrets deep within the lava giant's body.

He worked tirelessly day and night, as if time had lost its meaning for him.

However, the "research frenzy" that had lasted for several days was finally broken by a "beep beep" notification from the Magic Network terminal.

Jemin looked up from the sea of ​​data with a slightly bewildered expression and instinctively opened the Magic Network terminal.

At this moment, his highly active brain was still calculating data and experimental information related to the transformation of the lava giant.

On the terminal, the message was from David.

The other party succinctly stated that he had completed his advancement to a second-level wizard and sent this message specifically to thank Jemin for his previous transformation of the Elosia plane's remnants.

These transformed survivors can be seen as helping him fulfill his promise to the sage of the Erosian plane.

Jemin blinked, and it took him a few seconds to come to his senses.

He then realized that he had been researching for decades since his last communication with David!

“No wonder,” Jemin muttered to himself, his fingertips tracing the research records on the light screen. “The research on the biological evolution of lava giants is almost finished. So much time has passed.”

But then, Jemin's brows furrowed sharply.

He suddenly realized... he seemed to have overlooked something extremely important.

He subconsciously started browsing through all the information records on the Magic Network terminal.

Information that had been ignored and unread for decades flooded into his already highly active brain like a tidal wave.

After a long time, Jemin finally realized what was wrong that made his heart pound: Amy and Victor had not sent any replies since they left for their last military service!
Jemin instinctively wanted to send them both a greeting message.

But when his fingertip touched the send button on the screen, a cold, blood-red automatic reply automatically appeared on the terminal:
[Target account: Victor Sario, confirmed as 'dead'.]

[Target account: Amy Gray Sparrow, confirmed to be 'dead'.]

Boom!

In that instant, Jemin felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

He was as if he had been struck by a heavy blow, and his body instantly froze on the spot.

Even with Jemin's current high level of mental activity, he was still bewildered for several minutes after seeing this information.

His brain, which is capable of processing massive amounts of information simultaneously, was completely blank at this moment, unable to comprehend the meaning of the words before him.

Only then did he forcefully suppress the shock and disbelief in his heart, and with trembling fingertips, continue to examine the body in disbelief.

They conducted a deep search of the terminal's underlying records regarding the specific details of the two deaths.

He quickly discovered the real cause of their deaths.

[Mission Code: 'Nest of Whispers of the Stars', Dimensional Conquest Mission.]

[Reason for mission failure: A technical error occurred at the psychological guidance level of the indigenous people, causing the core of the conquering plane to be detonated by the indigenous race's 'self-destruct mechanism'.]

[Casualties: The entire participating wizard squad was killed. Victor Sario, casualty number: XXXX. Amy Gray Sparrow, casualty number: XXXX.]

[Note: Both individuals were caught in the energy explosion of a dimensional self-destruction and, according to the contract's reaction, are completely dead. Given that no remains were found, it is recommended that the academy activate the honorary compensation mechanism.]

After confirming the veracity of the news of the two deaths, Jemin found himself momentarily at a loss for what to feel.

Pain? Sorrow?
Perhaps, it feels like something is blocking your chest, making it difficult to breathe.

But it doesn't seem as serious as those novels describe.

To his astonishment, Jemin found that his strongest emotion at that moment was a deep sense of bewilderment and confusion.

It was as if his brain, capable of studying complex formulas and theorems, was suddenly completely unable to understand the meaning of the cold information displayed on the screen.

die?

Those two people, just like that, died?
After a long while, Jemin, sitting in his comfortable chair, finally came to his senses as he stared at the screen flashing death messages.

His first instinct was to stand up and do something!
anger?
revenge?

Or perhaps, to go and confirm this illusory death?

But then, he slumped back down.

If it were a past life, perhaps he could have attended his friend's funeral and bid him farewell.

Or go to their home and comfort their loved ones.

However, in this world, wizards do not seem to have such a custom.

Even more cruelly, Jemin suddenly realized that he didn't even know who he should tell about this.

For wizards, death is far too common. So much so that their understanding of it is completely different from Jemin's.

Moreover, although Jemin had known Victor and Amy for many years, he knew nothing about their family situation.

They didn't even know who their family members were.

It was only at this moment that Jemin truly realized that even though he had been in this perilous wizarding world for so many years, deep down he was still the ordinary person he was in his previous life.

He also possesses the most primal and pure obsession that ordinary people have with life and friendship.

Sitting in the chair, Jemin remained motionless for a long time, lost in thought.

In the end, she sent a message to senior Viola about Victor and Amy's deaths.

Because he remembered that back in the Erosian plane, Amy seemed to have said that Viola was a friend of her parents.

To Jamin's surprise, Viola quickly called back with a communication request shortly after he sent the message.

Jemin hesitated for a moment, but finally answered the call.

When he saw Viola's slightly mocking face appear on the screen, Jemin suddenly regretted telling her about it.

"Oh my, dear junior!" Viola's malicious voice boomed from the communicator, "This is so rare! Your grief over the death of your friend is one in a million among the wizards I know! It's truly a sight to behold!"

Upon hearing this, Jemin felt a surge of anger welling up inside him.

He clenched his fists tightly. Although he was a little angry, reason told him that Viola's reaction and words were the most "normal" reactions to life and death among the veteran wizards in this wizarding world.

His suffering is his own business and has nothing to do with others.

In fact, if you're not familiar with them, no one would even care.

“No, a proper wizard wouldn’t actually feel good watching me suffer,” Jemin added silently to himself as he looked at Viola.

Immediately afterwards, a "thump" sound came from the light screen.

It sounded like Viola was being pulled away from the light screen and thrown aside.

Immediately, Clark's familiar and authoritative voice came from the background, tinged with helplessness and exhaustion: "Viola! Stop fooling around! Hurry up and finish today's data processing!"

Then, Clark's face, which still looked disheveled and somewhat balding, appeared in front of the light screen in place of Viola.

Clark's expression was much more normal compared to Viola's earlier gloating.

Without any sarcasm, he simply and calmly observed Jemin's somewhat dejected and confused appearance.

Then, Clark's hoarse voice came through the light screen:

"This is because you are too 'immature' right now. Jemin, your current mindset means that you are essentially still an ordinary mortal, not a truly mature wizard."

"However, it doesn't matter. After experiencing a few more things like this, you'll become a truly mature wizard."

Hearing Clark's seemingly cruel words, a warm feeling welled up in Jeming's heart: "I'm sorry to trouble you, mentor..."

He looked at his mentor Clark on the screen, his eyes filled with gratitude.

He knew perfectly well that Viola's willingness to take time out of her busy schedule to reply to his messages and provoke him in such an "unconventional" way must have been authorized, or even arranged, by her mentor, Clark.

Furthermore, it's certainly no coincidence that the two were able to respond so quickly.

This must be them, constantly paying attention to their mental state.

However, wizards are indeed not good at comforting people.

Therefore, the two of them may only be able to use this method, based on their unique understanding as wizards, to try to alleviate the sadness and confusion in his heart and help him transform as quickly as possible.

Professor Clark's unkempt face did not linger on the screen for long.

After analyzing Jemin's current state, he simply nodded calmly at Jemin, as if dealing with a trivial matter, and then decisively disconnected the communication.

However, before the communication was completely cut off, Jemin could still hear Viola's pitiful wails.

Staring blankly at the light screen that went out in an instant, Jemin blinked.

The laboratory returned to its usual silence, with only the faint hum of the alchemical instruments echoing in the air.

But for some reason, after experiencing Viola's harsh "mockery" and Clark's bland "preaching," he felt that his mind, which had been disturbed by the news of his friend's death, had inexplicably recovered quite a bit.

It was a strange feeling, as if a heavy boulder was pressing on your heart, but someone had used a rough and direct method to pry open a crack, allowing sunlight to shine in.

Shaking his head, Jemin temporarily suppressed his chaotic thoughts, trying to immerse himself again in his research on modifying the lava giant.

Mentor Clark is right; for wizards, the pursuit of knowledge is the eternal theme.

All emotional fluctuations will eventually be smoothed out by the long river of time.

(Bonus chapter, one more to go.)
(End of this chapter)