162: Law School

The conquest of the Sea of Worlds never ceases.

Under Brian's will, three expeditionary forces, like precise surgical scalpels, cut into three distinctly different junior planes.

A-04 Lava Heart Plane:

Execution, piloting the [Silent Fall], appeared directly above the giant crater at the core of the plane.

The scorching sulfurous air and the violent fire elements were merely background noise to it.

Facing the elemental creatures composed of pure flame and rock that swarmed out of the sea of lava, it adopted the most direct method—

Absolute firepower coverage and energy suppression!

The breaker robot units lined up and fired volleys. Specialized ice-attribute magic missiles blasted open pockets of vacuum in the sea of lava, and the clash between extreme cold and extreme heat triggered chain explosions.

The annihilator units, meanwhile, dove into the energy turbulence, precisely targeting and eliminating elemental elders attempting to coalesce into larger forms.

The task of the auxiliary legions was to clear scattered elemental nodes in the peripheral areas and establish temporary energy shielding fields to prevent the plane's environment from continuously eroding the robot legions.

The battle presented a one-sided crushing momentum from the start, and the expected suppression period was extremely short.

A-05 Humus Swamp Plane:

Spiritual Pupil - Seeker's [Cruiser] floated above the swamp, which was permeated with strange spores and a decaying stench.

The enemies here were not traditional armies, but ubiquitous fungal mats, giant mushroom forests capable of releasing mental spores, and symbiotic creatures lurking deep in the mire. Direct assault would be inefficient and easily lead to a war of attrition.

Spiritual Pupil - Seeker fully utilized her expertise.

Large numbers of sky patroller units were deployed. They not only scouted the terrain but also analyzed the energy flow and pheromone transmission patterns of the entire swamp ecosystem.

She quickly locked onto several ancient fungal nuclei that functioned like nervous centers.

Subsequently, instead of destroying them directly, she commanded the nature-aligned mages and druids in the auxiliary legions (some originating from Verdant Source) to attempt to analyze and simulate a dominant pheromone to interfere with communication between the fungal nuclei.

Simultaneously, she dispatched small trading teams to make contact with some swamp creatures possessing rudimentary intelligence, hiring them with glittering gems and pure energy blocks to attack other, more hostile fungal colonies.

The conquest proceeded silently through information warfare and commercial infiltration.

A-06 Dark Piety Divine Kingdom Plane:

Spiritual Pupil - Grace faced the most complex challenge.

The human empire in this plane worshipped an evil god who craved blood and souls. The social structure was highly unified, and the army was fanatical and fearless of death.

The appearance of the [Compassionate Bud] was declared by the Imperial priests to be an extraterrestrial demon, rousing unified hatred across the entire plane.

Spiritual Pupil - Grace did not rush to attack.

She first utilized the powerful shields and purification field of the [Compassionate Bud] to establish several safe zones on the Imperial border, taking in refugees and marginalized tribes who could no longer endure the cruel Imperial rule, and providing food, clean water, and medical treatment.

At the same time, she released disguised reconnaissance units to spread information within the Empire regarding contradictions in the divine edicts and exposing the corrupt lives of the priestly class, while quietly supporting suppressed rational scholars.

When the Imperial legions gathered and launched the offensive dubbed the [Holy War], they were met by the steel defense line constructed by the iron oath guardian units and the humanitarian treatment of wounded prisoners provided by the Sanctuary robots.

Spiritual Pupil - Grace was using practical actions to dismantle the enemy's foundation of faith, turning a war of conquest into a struggle for Hearts and minds.

Just as the three front lines were steadily advancing at different paces, good news arrived within the main world territory.

While the front-line campaigns were steadily progressing, Brian's thoughts returned to the internal construction of the main territory.

The smooth operation of the Enlightenment Academy solved the problem of pre-school education, prompting him to turn his attention to the existing Junior Mage Academy.

This academy had once been the link connecting him with Emily and Lucia, and it had trained many mage apprentices and low-ranking mages for the territory.

However, with the increase in the territory's population, the allegiance of subsidiary planes, and the surge in resources brought by conquest, the old academy was clearly overwhelmed.

Brian summoned Heart, Spiritual Eye Shou, and the civil affairs officer, Beethoven.

"The scale and facilities of our existing Junior Mage Academy can no longer keep pace with the speed of the territory's development."

Brian got straight to the point: "Enrollment is increasing, and our requirements for the quality and quantity of mage training are also rising. It is time for a large-scale expansion and upgrade."

Spiritual Eye Shou immediately pulled up detailed maps and data for the academy area:

"Master is correct! The current campus capacity is near saturation, and facilities such as laboratories, dedicated meditation towers, and spell practice grounds are severely lacking. The expansion plan has already been drafted and only requires your approval for implementation."

Civil affairs officer Beethoven added:

"Funding and resources are extremely abundant, fully supporting a complete overhaul and upgrade. Since the Enlightenment Academy was newly built next to the Junior Mage Academy, we can integrate the area adjacent to the city wall to expand the campus size. At the same time, utilizing new technologies we acquired from Verdant Source and previous conquests, we can equip the new campus with more advanced energy guidance systems and defensive Magic Formation units."

"Very good." Brian nodded, then contacted his third uncle, Klein.

On the light screen, when Klein heard about the expansion plan and the subsequent plans for intermediate and advanced academies, his face broke into a wide smile:

"That's wonderful, Brian! I've been thinking about this for a long time! We have many promising talents in the academy now, and I will arrange the best teachers for you when the time comes!"

"With you overseeing things, Third Uncle, I am naturally at ease." Brian smiled slightly:

"Emily and Lucia are currently focusing their energy on caring for the family and children. I plan to have them step down from academy management, but they can still serve as honorary professors, occasionally giving lectures and sharing their experiences."

"That is certainly fine! After all, your enterprise has grown large, and you need more manpower!" Klein nodded.

After making the arrangements, Brian's gaze once again turned toward the distance, contemplating longer-term development.

"The expansion of the Junior Academy solves the immediate problem. But our goals do not end there."

He said to Heart, who was beside him:

"Intermediate Mage Academies and Advanced Mage Academies are the true cradles for cultivating core talents. They will require more expansive space, top-tier facilities, and even small plane fragments to serve as practical training bases."

He paused, his tone conveying the certainty of his plan:

"The next time we undertake a plane conquest, if we find a plane with suitable terrain, decent resources, but limited potential, we can choose the territorial transformation reward. We will use the essence of that plane's land to carve out sufficient space for our future intermediate and advanced academy campus."

This clear blueprint perfectly integrated the immediate upgrade of the education system with the long-term strategy of territorial expansion and plane conquest.

For a time, two major events progressed simultaneously within the main territory:

On one side were the continuous reports of victories from the Sea of Worlds front line, and on the other was the bustling scene of expansion and upgrade at the Junior Mage Academy in the rear.

The expansion and upgrade project for the Junior Mage Academy was launched with great fervor.

A large area adjacent to the city wall was quickly cleared and leveled. New teaching buildings sprang up, utilizing energy guidance technology learned from Verdant Source, which increased the efficiency of the meditation rooms by nearly twenty percent.

The large, comprehensive spell practice grounds were equipped with adjustable-intensity targets and energy absorption barriers, making safety far superior to before.

The Alchemy and Rune Laboratories, designed with assistance from Spirit Eye Xi, also introduced automated material processing and safety protection systems, allowing students to conduct practical work more securely.

Klein, relying on his deep network and experience within the academy system, sought out and introduced many excellent teaching staff.

The entire academy radiated unprecedented vitality, attracting more promising young people from the territory and even subsidiary planes to study.