The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

”Come on, Ras, let Uncle take good care of you! Hurry!” Jones twitched erratically, his expression morbid. His long, forked tongue looked like it had undergone some sort of mutation, and saliva dripped onto the floor.

”Pardon me, but could you tell me if that unknown canine you released is a Vengeful Spirit, or some other special creation?”

Suddenly, a cold voice, as chilling as the dead of winter, echoed in his ear, making Jones shudder violently.

”Who’s there!”

He looked over in terror, retreating rapidly.

He saw nothing, but the voice sounded again from behind, clinging to him like a shadow.

”I’m just curious about that thing inside you. Care to talk about it?” A long, slender, pale hand landed on Jones’s shoulder as the voice continued, ”Also, are you interested in becoming my test subject? Your kind is exceptionally rare. You would make for a most precious addition to my collection.”

Jones’s eyes widened in terror. The hand on his shoulder felt impossibly heavy, rooting him to the spot, too afraid to even twitch.

A terrifying killing intent washed over him, compounded by the oppressive aura of a Wizard. It was a struggle to even blink.

Suddenly, a look of ecstatic joy flashed in his eyes. A distinctive bark echoed through the area—the Divine Dog had returned, answering his call for help now that he was in danger.

At that moment, the owner of the hand remarked in surprise, ”It seems the symbiotic relationship is real. By losing you as a host, this unknown Vengeful Spirit will also be affected.”

The pressure on his shoulder vanished, stunning Jones for a moment. The man had actually let him go.

His shock turned to ecstasy, and a savage look twisted his features. He was going to have the Divine Dog tear this bastard to shreds.

A canine the size of a bull appeared, its body covered in constantly swelling pustules. It had six legs, and fleshy tendrils writhed in the air where its head should be. It had no eyes, only a highly developed, flat maw with sharp teeth, from which saliva dripped.

Jones patted the canine’s back, feeling greatly reassured. Only then did he see a blond figure in black armor holding a small notebook, continuously writing something with a feather pen.

[Target: Unknown Vengeful Spirit]

[Information 1: Exists in a symbiotic relationship with its host. Suspected to possess an Illusion and Reality Transformation Ability, as well as an extremely powerful Recovery Ability. Can devour Vitality and souls.]

[Information 2: Predicted to be a Low-tier Extraordinary Creature. Methods of attack include physical tearing and swallowing. Unable to determine the existence of a special Extraordinary Bloodline at this time.]

[Experiment Plan: Conduct dissection of the unknown Vengeful Spirit and its host. Objective: to study its Extraordinary Properties for any new discoveries. Ensure experimental materials are kept as fresh as possible.]

After he finished writing, Wang Ya tucked the small notebook into the lining of his Light Armor, then finally turned his gaze to Jones and the unknown Vengeful Spirit.

The unknown Vengeful Spirit displayed the same desire and greed for a Wizard’s flesh that was typical of Extraordinary Creatures. It pawed at the ground with frenzied excitement, eager to devour Wang Ya.

Jones was furious. It was Arthur, that pretty boy! A stupid Mortal Knight! He had already lost all capacity for rational thought.

”I’m going to tear you limb from limb!” Jones slapped the Divine Dog’s back hard, and the creature instantly became intangible, vanishing on the spot.

Wang Ya’s expression was impassive. He couldn’t see the creature, but he could feel its greedy malice.

And it was right upon him.

He simply lifted his right hand and snapped his fingers.

The [Sensory Deprivation] Witchcraft.

A formless, imperceptible blast of Spiritual Power struck. Jones collapsed instantly, blood pouring from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. His Spirit and consciousness were severely damaged. If he was lucky, he would wake up an imbecile.

The unknown Vengeful Spirit was also affected by the Witchcraft. It was instantly forced out of its intangible state and fell to the ground, trembling. A red liquid—a mixture of blood and cerebral fluid—oozed from its long, flat maw.

A thoughtful look appeared in Wang Ya’s eyes. ’It seems it doesn’t just resemble a Vengeful Spirit; its weaknesses are similar as well.’

’Perhaps this creature is the one that caused the Vengeful Spirit incident in the Maya Kingdom. But how did it end up here?’

’There should only be one Vengeful Spirit. If multiple appear, they will instinctively devour one another, unless their respective power and auras are about equally strong.’

Wang Ya frowned. ’I’ll still have to go to the Capital City of the Maya Kingdom to get a clearer picture.’

A True Sight Ball appeared in his hand. As he infused it with Particle Energy, all the information and images related to Jones and the unknown Vengeful Spirit were recorded.

[Notice: Analyzing ’Unknown Vengeful Spirit’... Estimated Time: 12 hours.]

Wang Ya paused, stunned. ’Analyzing the essence of this unknown Vengeful Spirit is actually going to take twelve hours? Even with all the information I’ve already gathered?’

Suddenly, a stinging pain radiated from his pupils. Wang Ya reflexively covered his eyes, a look of shock on his face.

Then, a new piece of information appeared, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved into a smile.

’What a pleasant surprise!’

The Eye of Truth was about to undergo a metamorphosis, a process estimated to take seven days.

’When it’s finished, the Eye of Truth will be able to analyze two targets simultaneously, instead of just one.’

’It was just as I predicted. After my promotion to Level 1 Wizard Apprentice, the Eye of Truth is evolving as well.’

’This transformation is just coming a little later than I’d expected.’

He placed both the unknown Vengeful Spirit and Jones’s body into the red metal ring. It had a larger space, and with his now more powerful Particle Energy, Wang Ya could use it multiple times.

It was perfect for storing these kinds of experimental materials—his special ”collection”—and would allow him to keep them separate from the items stored in his Silver Bracelet.

When stored inside a Witchcraft Artifact, their states could be kept constant. Of course, the unknown Vengeful Spirit would most likely survive, while Jones would probably be dead. But as long as the biological activity was preserved, it made little difference.

This was more than enough for Wang Ya to conduct some tests and research for his Extraordinary Dissection experiments.

However, just as Wang Ya was placing the unknown Vengeful Spirit into the red metal ring, in a certain underground palace, candlelight cast a dim glow over a floor covered in ghastly skeletons. A foul, pitch-black rot filled the air, and the clothes on the skeletons were still shockingly new.

On an altar stood a huge canine statue made of some unknown material. From its long, flat maw, a low growl seemed to emanate.