The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

The gray walls had the texture of some unknown metal. Patterns and lines etched with the marks of time spiraled to the peak, forming a landmark like a lighthouse—only it was a giant pendulum.

From the crevices of the building, the dim glow of Particle Energy shone forth, like blood vessels supplying nutrients.

The energy supply for the Teleportation Array was also entirely maintained by this Teleportation Tower, which connected to the underground energy circulation system of the Dark Land.

A spacious passageway had been built next to the Teleportation Tower. Looking out, one could see even more magnificent, epic buildings. A perfect fusion of modern and classical styles, the Wizards who constructed these buildings were undoubtedly true geniuses.

Lando Wizard took a deep breath, then spread his arms and stretched. ”Ah, the air in the Dark Land is so much better. I was suffocating out there.”

Wind Wizard subconsciously touched his Golden Mask. His gaze shifted to Wizard Yi Si beside him as he said, ”Wizard Yi Si, I’ll be returning to the Withered Wood School to report.”

Wizard Yi Si nodded, a faint smile on his face. Having returned to the Dark Land, his mood couldn’t help but improve.

Most importantly, this Indicator Task had been perfectly completed, and it was now time to reap his rewards.

Even if those from the Wizard Clans wanted to find fault, they wouldn’t have any real grounds to do so. It would amount to nothing more than pressure, and he had endured plenty of that before.

”I’m heading out too, Yi Si. Saiya Chief is waiting for me to report. I really pulled my weight on this one, so you’d better have my back.” Lando Wizard added as he left. Apparently, he was thoroughly afraid of this Saiya Wizard.

”Interesting little fellow. Don’t be in such a hurry to be shocked; there are plenty more surprises in store for you.” Wizard Yi Si threw a cool glance at Wang Ya, then continued, ”The Dark Wizard Academy is divided into the Upper House and the Lower House. The Lower House is the destination for you Wizard Freshmen. It’s south of the Teleportation Tower.”

”As for the Upper House, you must first pass the graduation assessment in the Lower House to enter. Your Power, your foundation of knowledge, and your chosen Wizard Path must all be exceptional to even have a chance.”

From Wizard Yi Si’s words, it wasn’t hard to understand that the Wizards in the Upper House had all advanced through layers of selection and elimination. Every single one was an elite, possessing either great Power or some other unique strength.

A thoughtful look flashed through Wang Ya’s eyes. By now, the other Wizard Freshmen in the Teleportation Array had also come to their senses, and they were inevitably stunned and shocked by the sight. Some of them gaped, their mouths hanging open.

Gray cried out boisterously, ”This is insane! These buildings are so majestic and glorious... And the Particle Energy in the air is so dense! I feel like my Witchcraft would be way more powerful here.”

Mas’s eyes widened, and he exclaimed with a laugh, ”This is incredible! It’s amazing! I feel like I can see the Gate of Truth opening up to me!”

Although Mona’s eyes also held a look of surprise, she was far more composed than the others and remained quiet.

”Alright, freshmen, this is not the time for gawking,” Wizard Yi Si’s voice rang out. ”Follow me to the Lower House of the Dark Wizard Academy. Immediately.” Everyone reined in their emotions, obediently followed behind him, and left the area of the Teleportation Array.

After exiting the passageway, they were greeted by the sight of wide streets and all manner of towering, magnificent buildings.

They didn’t encounter many Wizards along the way; it seemed people were deliberately avoiding them. As Wizard Yi Si led them, he introduced some of the environments and facilities of the Dark Land.

Wang Ya had already read about many of these things in books, so he noticed that Wizard Yi Si was only giving a brief overview.

Seeing the places described in his books with his own eyes gave Wang Ya a strange feeling, but also a sense of familiarity. He found himself adapting to the pace of his new environment faster than the others.

The Dark Land was divided into multiple zones, including an academy zone, a Freedom Street zone, a Commercial Street zone, and various administrative departments.

For example: the Secret Realm Management Department, the Indicator Task Management Department, the Law Enforcement Management Department, and the Resource Management Department.

Based on his experiences in Hanhai Wizard City, Wang Ya surmised that Freedom Street was likely a trading hub, probably run by a mix of outside Wizards and Wild Wizards who abided by the rules of the Dark Land. The Commercial Street, on the other hand, was likely open only to internal personnel and backed by the Dark Land Headquarters.

Of course, the actual locations of these administrative departments were situated more toward the Upper House’s domain. The areas were cordoned off by Witch Arrays, which specifically enforced the access privileges of each Wizard Freshman.

Low-level clearance only granted free access to certain areas within the Lower House. Wizard Yi Si’s clearance was likely Level 2, which allowed him to move freely within the Upper House’s domain.

The true core of the Dark Land was the Dark Library.

In the Lower House Library, the first floor was a processing center for various Wizard Tasks—a place to accept missions and redeem resources. The second floor housed a collection of ordinary books on history, biology, travelogues, and biographies, serving as a place to broaden one’s knowledge.

The Upper House Library was the core of the core, the repository for all the Wizard lineages of the Dark Land. Its first floor might function similarly to the Lower House Library, but its second floor was the true vault of all kinds of Extraordinary Knowledge.

Wizard Yi Si led the group into the Lower Courtyard Zone, where the foot traffic was noticeably heavier. Figures in Wizard Robes could be seen walking down the street, casting curious glances at the newcomers.

Of course, even more people were startled by Wizard Yi Si himself and hurriedly cleared a path.

The freshmen stared at everything around them, a mixture of nerves and curiosity in their eyes. They were apprehensive, wondering what the Dark Lower House would be like and what changes their lives were about to undergo.

’Are these the upperclassmen...’

’None of them look very friendly!’

’They’ve performed such extreme modifications on their own bodies... Seventy percent of that one’s face is mechanical. Can you even call that a Wizard anymore?’

Wang Ya observed in silence, his internal reaction far calmer than that of the other freshmen. A fractured blue light shimmered in his pupils as a three-dimensional map of the Dark Land formed in his mind.

The details were missing, of course, but he knew he just needed to walk around a bit more to complete the map.

Suddenly, he felt several gazes land on them, tinged with a hint of venom and hatred.

The animosity wasn’t directed at him alone, but at their entire group, including Wizard Yi Si.

When Wang Ya looked over, the hostile gazes were gone. There were only figures in Wizard Robes coming and going, occasionally pausing to shoot the newcomers a curious look.

Wizard Yi Si’s face was impassive, as if he hadn’t noticed a thing.

But Wang Ya didn’t believe it. If even he could sense it, there was no way Wizard Yi Si had missed it.

For some reason, past experiences made Wang Ya feel that Wizard Yi Si was once again plotting something.

He had been burned before.