The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

With a placid expression, Wang Ya climbed onto the Wizard Ship and flung the few crustacean-like Sea Beasts he was dragging onto the deck.

He wrung the seawater from his clothes, his gaze sweeping over the new apprentices on deck.

No one would pay you any mind; you were just another stranger.

Like the ordinary, monotonous seascape, only an unprecedented storm could carve an unforgettable mark into the traces of your life.

To Anna, this unremarkable, Low-tier new apprentice was like the black bread commoners ate in their mortal days—someone she would most likely ignore.

But as she gazed at Wang Ya’s back, her scarlet pupils held a surprising hint of astonishment.

’That guy actually didn’t tell anyone... With their top-tier Wizard Qualifications, she and Arthur were already the center of attention for the new apprentices. Even now, plenty of them were still trying to leave an impression on her.’

’Like peacocks displaying their feathers, they could barely hide their carnal desires, and it was getting tiresome.’

’If he had said anything, it would have become the main topic of gossip for the next month.’

’Weren’t all men supposed to have such a base nature? No matter how well they hid it or how ornate their masks, it was bound to be exposed in the end.’

’A genuinely good man?’ Anna Karina couldn’t help but laugh, the sound as pleasant as wind chimes. Her fiery red hair danced in the whistling sea breeze, her charm captivating the gazes of the new apprentices on deck.

’A boring life at sea always needs a little entertainment.’

’Her relationship with Arthur had been made clear, so he should understand what to do.’

’But what did reality matter? He’d lost an arm and his face was disfigured. Even with top-tier Wizard Qualification, an initial period of decline was unavoidable.’

”Why is it that even after becoming an Extraordinary Creature, you still can’t kick this bad little habit of yours?”

Wang Ya opened the window, letting in Harak, who had been out and about.

He closed the window, blocking the flowing darkness that tried to squeeze in.

The clothes rack was all but destroyed. Riddled with gashes, it looked like it could collapse at any moment. Yet Harak seemed to love the wobbly feeling, often using its sharp claws to gouge new cracks into it.

Tonight’s late-night snack had been brought back by Harak: a few delicious, silver moonfish.

This species of fish only appeared when the moon was out and its light shone upon the sea. They used their scales to reflect the moonlight, creating a shimmering spectacle on the waves, like a painting brushed with fantastical colors.

Heaven knew where Harak had found them, but once grilled, they were exceptionally delicious.

On a corner of the desk, a wooden box lay open, revealing a ghastly Finger Bone. A Wizard with powerful Spiritual Power could see faint flickers of light and shadow on its surface.

Wang Ya was intently studying the red metal ring. The Water Prison Rotting Witchcraft Scroll lay beside it.

Dripping blood on it was useless. A Wizard’s Extraordinary Items could only be accessed using Particle Energy and Spiritual Power.

When his Spiritual Power had been depleted to its last wisp, Wang Ya gave up.

The storage-type Witchcraft Artifact itself was of extremely high quality. The restriction on it required the power of at least a Second-tier Wizard Apprentice to open normally.

Wang Ya’s Spiritual Power was nowhere near strong enough to refine the restriction and leave his own imprint.

He had managed to observe several items inside: three Witchcraft Scrolls, around thirty Magic Stones—the currency of the Wizard World—and three unique-looking books that probably contained significant information.

The only other item was a medal-shaped metal object whose function and properties he couldn’t identify.

This storage Witchcraft Artifact must have been lost after its original owner met with some accident. There were even some daily supplies tucked away in a corner of the small storage space.

Because of the preservative effects of the storage Witchcraft Artifact, he couldn’t determine how long ago it had been lost by checking the decay of these supplies.

Wang Ya frowned. It was possible to retrieve items from within, but it was extremely difficult, costing at least a third of his Spiritual Power and Particle Energy each time.

Putting things inside was just as taxing.

This red metal ring clearly had an extraordinary origin; he just couldn’t figure out where Arthur had gotten it.

For Wang Ya, it was a small treasure trove full of mysteries waiting to be explored.

As his Spiritual Power surged, the ring began to glow. With that, the problem of storing the Thorn Heart in his room was solved in the best way possible.

Of course, Wang Ya didn’t forget to take one item out of the ring as well.

A crimson book made of parchment now rested on his desk. It didn’t have much of an ancient feel to it; in fact, there were even traces of hand-stitching.

Opening the book, Wang Ya knew he had struck gold.

This was an inheritance of a Wizard’s knowledge.

[Hint: Initial analysis complete. The book contains a complete Witchcraft inheritance. Name: ’Fury of Hephaestus.’ Grade: High-tier Witchcraft. It follows a direct lineage, evolving from simplified Low-tier and Middle-tier Witchcraft.]

Wang Ya was stunned. It took him a moment to process the information and understand its implications.

It was like a complete course in Extraordinary Knowledge, progressing from simple to difficult, all the way to total mastery. The learning curve and time required would be drastically reduced.

’A High-tier Witchcraft from a direct line of inheritance... The owner of the red metal ring must have been at least a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice.’

Wang Ya’s breathing quickened unconsciously. This was a huge deal.

Tuta Wizard was probably at a similar level.

There were other inheritances inside the red metal ring. If he mastered them all, wouldn’t that guarantee his path to becoming a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice?

Of course, Wang Ya’s ambitions didn’t stop there. The key was that this would shorten the time he needed to grow stronger.

His pupils shone with a blue light as he reached out, his hand gently hovering over the ghastly Finger Bone.

In Wang Ya’s vision, a girl with long, green hair appeared, her long eyelashes pressed tightly together. Her faint Soul Body had fallen into a deep slumber.

When he had first brought Green Forest back from Tuta Wizard, the Eye of Truth had shown him that her soul was stable; she could even see him.

Now, she was much weaker and remained in a deep sleep.

Of the three methods Tuta Wizard had suggested, the most reliable was for Wang Ya to become an Official Wizard, cultivate a new body, and then use an incredibly powerful Spiritual Power to forcibly merge her soul with it.

As for the necessary Extraordinary Materials and the process of body cultivation, those were not difficult tasks for an Official Wizard.

He had just enough Spiritual Power left for one last chance to open the red metal ring and take out one more item.

Wang Ya’s brow furrowed as he endured the bone-deep exhaustion that came from depleting his Spiritual Power to its absolute limit. He was always pressed for time.

The red metal ring flashed once.

A new book appeared on the desk. It was brown and easily three times thicker than the Witchcraft inheritance book.

Crucially, Wang Ya sensed an ancient aura emanating from it, as if it were a tome passed down from a bygone era.

Filled with anticipation, he activated his Eye of Truth.

[Hint: ...]