The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

Wang Ya had slain all the Wizard Clan freshmen from Ancient Forest Mountain. In addition, the Bailin Clan and the Purple Gold Flower Clan had been annihilated. An incident of this magnitude was certain to be investigated thoroughly. It was impossible to know if the other Wizard Clans would help each other out.

Wang Ya had already considered this issue before becoming an Executor.

As for the current hostility from these Wizard Clan freshmen—whether it was simply because they didn’t like the look of him or a preemptive move to target a potential threat, it made no difference.

It was simple: he would meet every attack with a defense!

He didn’t believe those Wizard Clan factions would be so irrational as to bother with a mere Wizard Apprentice.

Anyone who could gain a foothold and establish roots in the Dark Land was anything but simple.

Besides, there was no true life-or-death grudge between them.

The Bailin and Purple Gold Flower Clans were no more. Their demise was a whale fall, a bounty for all to feast upon.

The Antuun Clan, known as one of the three great clans, also seemed to have established roots in the Dark Land. It was questionable whether they would even step forward.

Wang Ya’s gaze was profound. ’Anyway, Wizard Yi Si is up ahead to block the way. When it comes to attracting attention, he’s a much bigger target.’

’Some minor troubles are unavoidable. I’ll just have to prune them away.’

He swept an indifferent gaze over the freshman with the buzz cut.

’Whether he’s acting on his own or there’s a conspiracy behind this malice, if he dares to step out of line here in the Dark Land Headquarters, where the rules are absolute... I’ll report him directly to the supervising Wizard.’

’But if they play by the rules, I’ll meet any move they make.’

The latter still wore a smile, looking at Wang Ya with an earnest expression that seemed to come from the heart.

But he received no response whatsoever and was completely ignored.

The buzz-cut freshman’s expression immediately stiffened.

A clan freshman beside him whispered, ”The Gobseck Clan is considered powerful even among the Wizard Clans. For a member of their Direct Lineage to personally extend an invitation, only to be ignored... he’s really showing no respect for Mengta at all.”

”If you had the ability to single-handedly slaughter half the freshmen in the camp, you’d be this arrogant too. The man has real Power.”

”Power alone doesn’t guarantee you’ll get far. On the Wizard Path, you can’t do without resources, connections, and methods,” a tall, thin youth with prominent cheekbones said leisurely, seemingly coming to Mengta’s defense. ”Who knows how many Wizards have accomplished nothing, only to die of old age or be expelled.”

”Only by helping each other and progressing through shared study can one go further.”

Mengta nodded at Reeve Shebel. The other man’s clan was on good terms with his own; otherwise, he really would have been left in an awkward position.

Though he was seething with anger and resentment, he didn’t let any of it show on his face.

He was only targeting this Ghostman Wang Ya because someone had commissioned him to do so, offering a reward so great that even he coveted it.

The headache was that this guy was nothing like a typical island freshman; he was completely unfazed by the stares and comments of others, whether they were of praise or scorn.

’No... this guy doesn’t even see us. He only cares about what he considers useful.’

Mengta felt that this was a thorny problem. Although he had succeeded in his goal of stirring up hostility toward Wang Ya from the freshmen of the other camps and Ancient Forest Mountain, he felt no joy in it.

A person with a personality like that rarely had any weaknesses.

Although he looked down on freshmen from the islands and was hostile toward Wang Ya, he had to admit it.

’If this really doesn’t work, I’ll just have to give up that generous reward. I have no desire to be targeted by such a terrifying enemy.’

Slaughtering half the Wizard Freshmen proved not only that he was ruthless, but that his Power was immense.

He was as insane and audacious as those madmen from the White Bone Lineage.

The look he gave Wang Ya softened a little.

Suddenly, everyone present fell silent. Looks of terror appeared on their faces as their bodies struggled against an immense pressure, the Particle Energy within them running rampant.

A figure slowly emerged from the passageway and came to a stop on the high platform in the very center of the plaza, standing with his arms crossed.

He wore a black Wizard Robe and had a scar on his left cheek. With a disdainful gaze, he looked mockingly down at the freshmen who were struggling to withstand his oppressive aura, some of whom had even fainted.

”Pathetic. Are freshmen these days really this weak?” The figure’s gaze landed on the area for Ancient Forest Mountain, and his brow furrowed in clear displeasure.

Judging by their performance, the Wizard Freshmen from Ancient Forest Mountain were far too weak. This was especially obvious when compared to the freshmen from the other camps.

Under the weight of his aura, only a single figure remained standing in his original spot.

Wang Ya’s calm expression caused many to marvel in secret. This guy’s Power was probably ranked among the very best of the freshmen, no weaker than those geniuses from the Wizard Clans.

The scar-faced Wizard gave an affirmative nod. ’This must be the little fellow Wizard Yi Si mentioned.’

But when he noticed that the majority of those still standing were Wizard Clan freshmen, a grim look flashed in the depths of his eyes.

In terms of Power, several of the clan freshmen were surprisingly not much weaker than this little fellow.

’So-called clan geniuses, are they!’

’Or is this the result of that ”core development plan” those guys cooked up?’

Gusai Wizard showed no sign of his thoughts on his face.

The aura emanating from him slowly dissipated, and only then did the others manage to stagger to their feet.

”My name is Gusai, and I am the supervising Wizard for your batch of freshmen. My term is only two and a half years.” Perhaps it was a trait of Wizards from the Dark Land Headquarters to be frank, as the scar-faced Wizard’s speech was brief and direct.

”Your Dark Wizard Mark will give you the information you need, and the Dark Newcomer’s Guide will tell you how to study, learn, and improve yourselves within the academy.”

”I will not micromanage you. Whether you live or die, excel or fail, or even get expelled from the academy, I could not care less, and I will not intervene.” Gusai Wizard slowly lowered his arms and raised a single finger on his right hand. ”But there is one thing: do not break the rules. If you do, I will kill you myself.”

His voice was devoid of inflection, perfectly calm, yet it sent a chill down the spine of everyone present. It was true killing intent.

”Of course, in two and a half years, your batch of freshmen will participate in an assessment—a true opportunity.” The corners of Gusai Wizard’s mouth curved upward, pulling at the scar on his face and giving him a somewhat ugly and ferocious look.

”The Dark Land contains a great number of Wizard Secret Realms. To incentivize the freshmen of the Lower House, the Secret Realm Management Department is opening two Small Secret Realms, ’Heaven-Filling Fire’ and ’Erosion Forest,’ free of charge... You will all participate in an assessment competition inside them, and you will receive rewards based on your final ranking.”

”And everything you acquire inside the Secret Realm will be yours to keep.” Gusai Wizard sighed wistfully. ”You little ones are truly lucky... Do you have any idea how many Dark Points a Wizard from the headquarters has to spend just to enter an ordinary Small Secret Realm?”

...

The Freshman Residence could also be described as an apartment building. The rooms were simple, furnished with a bed, a table, a washroom, a sunlit windowsill, and not much else.

The news from Gusai Wizard was significant, and it ignited a competitive spirit in many of the Wizard Freshmen.

As for the ’200’ Dark Points that Gusai Wizard mentioned, Wang Ya now had a clear frame of reference.