The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

A low canine growl echoed through the underground space. The candle flames flickered, threatening to go out at any moment.

Below the altar, several figures in opulent robes, their faces stricken with panic, hurriedly dropped to their knees in worship.

”Great God of Gendas, please quell your anger. This is the gift we have prepared for you.”

One by one, retainers with numb expressions clutched crying newborns and tossed them into the Blood Pool on the altar. A slurry of gore churned within, like a great stir-frying wok. The infants vanished beneath the surface with a single splash of flesh and blood.

At the very bottom of the Blood Pool lay a pile of black, putrid skeletons. The churning and surging of the contents above seemed like an act of digestion.

The members of the Maya Royal Family stared intently at the center of the altar, their faces flushed with excitement and their eyes bloodshot. A watermelon-sized opening there connected down into the Blood Pool.

A dazzling crimson light radiated from the opening as fist-sized spheres of flesh rolled out, one after another. Their surfaces were covered in writhing tentacles and fleshy buds. They squirmed with astonishing vitality—they were alive.

They continued to pour out in a steady stream, their numbers already reaching about a thousand.

The maw of the giant canine statue also let out a piercing shriek, and a pulse of crimson light radiated outward.

It was the members of the Maya Royal Family who began to change. Their old, withered faces grew youthful, and their snow-white hair turned back to a lustrous black.

King Kenny felt as if he were eighteen again. He clenched his fists, and the intoxicating feeling of immense Power made him burst into maniacal laughter.

This was all a gift from the God of Gendas.

As long as they continued to offer more sacrifices and spread the god’s radiance to more people, they, as the Divine Envoys of the God of Gendas, would also attain eternal life and dwell with their deity.

”Great God of Gendas, we will share the Divine Dogs with more people, allowing them to bathe in your divine radiance until the Maya Kingdom becomes a Divine Kingdom!” Kenny knelt on the floor, arms outstretched, his voice a fanatical cry.

Suddenly, a searing, tearing pain shot through Kenny’s right arm.

Spike-like black fur erupted from his pores. A mass of fleshy buds sprouted from his elbow joint, and his hand twisted into a set of sharp claws. But despite the gruesome transformation, Kenny’s face was filled with even greater joy.

’The God of Gendas has blessed me! He’s letting me control the Divine Dogs, to fight for him, to bring about the Divine Kingdom.’

The other members of the Maya Royal Family were consumed with jealousy, but the Divine Dogs within their bodies expressed submission, leaving them with no choice but to praise the God of Gendas.

The retainers gathered up all the fleshy spheres. As Kenny and the other royals left the underground palace, they began to talk.

”Your Majesty, the Wizards have already noticed something is amiss. They’ll be sending someone to investigate.”

”I am aware,” Kenny said, a strange smile playing on his lips. ”But it’s a peculiar little conspiracy. A foolish Wizard wants us to cooperate with him to kill other Wizards. So, I chose to accept that fool’s arrangement. The two Wizards he’s targeting should be arriving at the Capital City soon. We must give our Master Wizards a proper welcome, mustn’t we!”

The Divine Dogs crave flesh, blood, and souls. They especially favor strong, healthy young men.

Different Divine Dogs possess different Levels of Power.

As Divine Envoys, their own Divine Dogs were the strongest; they could even absorb other Divine Dogs to enhance their own Power.

”The Wizards think they can control everything, looking down upon the mortal world from their lofty perch. But the God of Gendas has brought us hope! He protects us with his Divine Power, granting us a Power that will surpass that of the Wizards.”

Having received the Divine Right Hand, Kenny was filled with a new sense of purpose. He decided to do something monumental: kill every Wizard who entered the Maya Kingdom.

Whether it was the two incoming Wizards or the one he was supposedly helping—they all had to die!

”Wizards wield Extraordinary Power. The God of Gendas will surely favor such a sacrifice. Perhaps he will grant us even more of his Power.”

The others began to share in his vision, their fear and awe of Wizards replaced with greedy anticipation.

........

”AH!”

Ras’s scream echoed through the entire camp, jolting everyone else awake.

Nicotine looked at his daughter, who was sitting bolt upright in bed, her face a mask of terror. ”What is it, Ras?” he asked, surprised.

”A monster! A huge monster! It was going to eat me!” Ras was clearly still terrified, the horrifying image of a pouncing figure from the night before still seared into her memory.

It was real. She was sure of it. Absolutely sure.

”There, there. It was just a nightmare, Ras. It’s alright,” Nicotine said, patting his daughter’s head with his large, chubby hand.

The Knights on watch hadn’t noticed anything, and Knight Hans had already inspected the camp. Everything was normal.

Nicotine simply assumed his daughter was under too much stress. After comforting her for a moment, he left the tent to arrange for their departure.

”But...” Ras trailed off, watching her father’s retreating back.

Ras watched the busy figures in the camp dismantling tents and packing up pots and pans. The caravan’s cargo was, of course, the most important asset, and Captain Hans himself was guarding it.

”Is something wrong, Miss Ras?” Wang Ya asked. He was mounted on his horse, waiting for the camp to be packed up. His eyes were distant, as he was using the downtime to contemplate his future Wizard Path.

Once a Wizard mastered the foundational Extraordinary Knowledge, the choice of a Wizard Path lay clearly before them.

Without a doubt, Wang Ya leaned toward the path of the Elemental Wizard. This Wizard System was ancient and well-documented. Many Wizards in the Dark Land had walked this path, and it was a popular choice for many a Wizard Freshman.

The most important factor was its adaptability. Elemental Wizards specialized in Elemental Particle Energy. Regardless of an element’s properties, everything ultimately revolved around the concept of Energy, which in turn had a strong connection to Mechanical Wizards.

Many Elemental Wizards would even dabble in the research of Mechanical Wizards, with some eventually switching over to that path entirely.

Wielding powerful Particle Energy also required a strong physical body, which touched upon the domains of White Wizards and Bloodline Wizards, often involving research into Wizard Experiments.

This was precisely why Wang Ya had chosen the two subjects of [Biological Cultivation] and [Extraordinary Dissection].

It wasn’t just for the sake of Harak’s bloodline evolution; there were many factors to consider. In the future, he could even study a few more related subjects to further enhance and perfect his path.

Wang Ya looked up at the ordinary girl who had approached him. Hesitation was written all over her face, as if there was something she desperately wanted to say.

”Mr. Arthur, do you believe that there are six-legged dog-like creatures in this world? With no mouth and no eyes...” Ras finally managed to say, carefully watching his expression.

When she saw a flicker of impatience on his face, followed by a frown, Ras’s voice trailed off. She turned and left in a huff.

’So Mr. Arthur doesn’t believe me either? But I really did see it.’

Wang Ya’s expression returned to one of cool indifference as he watched the girl’s retreating back. ’Sometimes, for ordinary people, an ordinary life is all they need.’

’They have neither the resources nor the Ability to touch upon anything Extraordinary. The consequences would be more than they could ever bear.’

’Ordinary people are too small, too insignificant!’

’And yet, when I face certain Wizards in the Dark Land, am I not just as insignificant?’

’The only difference, perhaps, is that I have a chance—a hope—to change my situation.’

’One’s own power, for one’s own self.’