The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

Wang Ya washed his face in the washroom. In the mirror, his skin was fair and his features handsome, but his lips had lost much of their color, looking somewhat pale. His dark amber eyes were grave, revealing a hint of gloom.

He wanted to believe it was just his imagination, that his suspicions were unfounded and things couldn’t have possibly escalated to this point. But he couldn’t fool himself. When he left the Ancient Forest Tower that day, Gandhi Wizard’s gaze had betrayed a flicker of malice, if only for an instant.

’What should I do?’ He had been able to kill Arthur because he was powerful enough.

’But what do I have to counter Gandhi Wizard’s malice?!’

’Using the few Low-tier Witchcraft spells I’ve mastered to fight a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice? What a joke.’

’Even the Green Poison would be useless. His radiation-enhanced physique might be completely immune to its effects. Or maybe, before I could even make a move, his powerful Spiritual Power would slam into me, knocking me out cold.’

’The two of us are fundamentally mismatched, both in terms of Power and in our comprehension and mastery of Extraordinary Knowledge.’

’My three Witchcraft Scrolls? A veteran apprentice like him is far too experienced in combat. He can activate his Particle Energy Shield at a moment’s notice and will counterattack the instant he senses an energy fluctuation.’

’A Witchcraft Scroll needs time to activate. Even a second—or half a second—is enough for a powerful apprentice to react.’

’He could crush me like an ant before the scroll even took effect.’

This was perhaps the greatest crisis Wang Ya had ever faced. All the clues seemed to point toward Gandhi Wizard.

With Wizard Yi Si and the other three Wizards away, the rules of Ancient Forest Mountain were naturally whatever Gandhi said they were.

The dagger was sheathed in a special glass bottle, which was also filled with rippling, emerald-green Extraordinary Poison. Under the light, it reflected a dazzling sheen.

In the mirror, his handsome face took on a cold expression as his eyes narrowed. ’Even if things really are as I suspect, I’m betting Gandhi Wizard won’t expose himself. He can’t possibly make a move on me.’

’A Wizard Slayer’s entire purpose is to do the dirty work for their master. Wizard Yi Si’s rules still carry weight; they’re a deterrent.’

’Never underestimate a truly powerful Wizard. If Gandhi Wizard dares to act, Wizard Yi Si might notice. The traces left behind after an attack are impossible to hide completely.’

Wang Ya wasn’t one hundred percent certain, but he would still prepare the necessary countermeasures. He would give it his all!

The automated cafeteria was as deserted as ever; you could hardly see any Wizard Freshmen around. With a neutral expression, Wang Ya sat alone at a corner table, finished all his food, returned his tray, and left.

The environment of the Ancient Forest was monotonous, with paths protected by Witch Arrays crisscrossing through it, warding off some of the dangers lurking within the woods.

Wang Ya followed the familiar path back to the freshmen’s residence. If not for yesterday’s murder and the incident at the Ancient Forest Tower, he might have actually believed Ancient Forest Mountain was the same as it had always been. But it was different now. With a dangerous undercurrent stirring, none of the new students knew if they would be the next to die.

Mist shrouded the freshmen’s residence, the Witch Array’s power having been turned to maximum. Wang Ya inspected his quarters inside and out, then spent a great deal of time setting up some arrangements.

He spent the entire afternoon in his personal laboratory, completely depleting his Particle Energy. After some Cultivation, the Green Poison Liquid yielded another batch of Green Poison.

He placed the three Witchcraft Scrolls in three strategic locations within his residence, ready to be triggered depending on the situation.

......

Sometime earlier, with Gandhi Wizard’s permission, a gathering space for the Wizard Mutual Aid Association had been established in the Ancient Forest Pavilion.

A man and a woman walked down a long, wide corridor. Under the warm lighting, the atmosphere between them grew increasingly intimate. They chatted, appearing to whisper sweet nothings to each other.

A scarlet blush crept onto Anna’s fair cheeks. ”That’s everything I know,” she said. ”But why are you asking? Wang Ya Harak is the only one with a teardrop mole. Why would he pretend to be the dead Arthur?”

Mosi didn’t satisfy Anna’s curiosity. Instead, he looked at her gently and said with a smile, ”I thought this freshman showed some promise, so I wanted to invite him to join the Wizard Mutual Aid Association. I never expected him to refuse in such a manner. Ah, well!”

Mosi sighed. Anna frowned. ”That freshman, Wang Ya Harak... his Wizard Qualification isn’t anything special,” she said. ”Plus, he’s withdrawn, stubborn, and reclusive. He chose the Extraordinary Cultivation line of Witchcraft, which is notoriously slow. Without a clear goal, he’ll be weeded out by Ancient Forest Mountain sooner or later. There’s really no need to invite him.”

”Alright, alright, I’ll listen to you. You’re one of the masters of the Wizard Mutual Aid Association, after all,” Mosi said, playfully tapping Anna on the nose. ”The Extraordinary Resources from your family’s sponsorship should definitely go to those who truly need them. You can be in charge of distributing them from now on.”

Anna’s face flushed with shy pleasure, and she buried her face in Mosi’s chest. Had she looked up, even slightly, she would have seen the playful, mocking glint in his eyes.

After they parted ways, a thoughtful look entered Mosi’s eyes, followed by a sinister smile that touched the corners of his lips.

......

「Nightfall.」

A cold wind howled, making the ancient trees tremble and their countless branches and leaves rustle. The night was even darker than the last, as if a black curtain had been drawn across the sky. Even the fluorescent glow of the Witch Array paths seemed dimmer.

Shadows took on blurry shapes, and the twisted branches looked like demons. This particular freshman’s residence was shrouded in a thick mist. The wind couldn’t disperse it, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.

A figure emerged from the darkness and slipped into the mist.

HSSS! It was a subtle sound, like melting snow, as the mist’s energy radiation was neutralized by another current of Particle Energy. A thick, scaled arm emerged from beneath a robe. Its fingers and nails were sharp and pointed, and it gripped a black blade about a meter long.

A dark luster flowed along the blade’s surface, which radiated an undeniable sharpness. A faint halo of Particle Energy spread out from the sword, disrupting the mist’s particle frequency. The fog gradually thinned, revealing the silhouette of the freshman’s residence within.

Number Two’s expression was numb, his pupils cold and lifeless. Even with the interference from his Shadow Slayer Blade, the pervasive mist still attempted to cloud his five senses. Blood vessels bulged on his face and dark, thread-like veins appeared in his eyes. The activation of his Bloodline Power granted him immunity to the mist.

In a way, he wasn’t a true Wizard. He had never practiced Meditation on his own; he was a product of modification through Witchcraft experiments. The mist, which a Level 1 Wizard Apprentice could negate with strong Spiritual Power, could still affect him. His combat prowess was simply on that level, nothing more.

A new command surfaced in his mind.

Kill the freshman in this residence.