The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

”The Wizard World has no shortage of special realms similar to the Dream World. As for the Official Wizards back at headquarters... even I feel my heart pound in my chest when I think about some of them,” the Illusory Dream Wizard said suggestively. He recalled the unique sights and sensations he had witnessed through his Eye of Dreams and Dream Perspective.

He wasn’t lying. In fact, he was holding back. From his sensory perception alone, he could confirm that at least five Official Wizards were involved in research concerning the Inner World and Outer Space. Some had even entered these special dimensional planes with their true bodies.

This count didn’t even include Wizards who possessed their own Wizard Towers.

The Illusory Dream Wizard glanced discreetly at the Gloom Wizard. ’And I have to exclude one more.’

The Gloom Wizard’s gentle, girlish voice spoke up. ”The drawbacks of being a Bloodline Wizard are difficult to overcome. The Demon Dragon Wizard’s state is growing more and more unstable.”

The Illusory Dream Wizard sighed. ”The power of an Extraordinary Bloodline is a shortcut. It allows them to achieve a transformation in their Power much faster than us. But with so many advantages, there are bound to be drawbacks. Time is the greatest enemy of a Bloodline Wizard.”

”Their Extraordinary Bloodline Power is their source, so naturally, they are also constrained by it. They are influenced by the habits of the corresponding Extraordinary Creature, by Genetic Fragments, and even by the inherited consciousness and information within the bloodline.”

The Gloom Wizard nodded, agreeing with the Illusory Dream Wizard.

This was especially true for bloodlines from more powerful Extraordinary Creatures. Some unique Extraordinary Creatures could even survive within their own Extraordinary Bloodline long after their physical bodies had died.

The path of a Bloodline Wizard is difficult. The key is to break the shackles of their bloodline, suppressing it and freeing themselves from the influence of those fragments of will.

”Having one’s temperament affected isn’t a fatal weakness. If the Demon Dragon Wizard can become aware of it himself, the Dark Land might just produce another veteran Official Wizard.”

The Illusory Dream Wizard laughed, and the yellow, doodle-like lines around him began to twitch and dance.

The ”veteran Official Wizard” they spoke of wasn’t a title earned through time, but through one’s level of Power—it referred to those who had reached the absolute peak of their current Level.

BOOM!

A violent explosion ripped through the capital of the Maya Kingdom. An invisible wave of Power radiated from the ground into the air, creating a terrifying shockwave. The resulting scene was horrifying.

Before their eyes, the shockwave swept through the entire Capital City, turning every building to dust that vanished into thin air.

As the dust and smoke billowed out, a thick layer of ash and debris settled over everything. The city’s moat was completely filled, countless human skeletons mixed within the rubble. From a distance, the Capital City of the Maya Kingdom now resembled a massive mound, giving it the distinct look of a tomb.

ROAR!

The roar echoed as a terrifying breath of dark Fire Element Energy erupted from the tomb. It blasted a massive hole in the sky, and the resulting suction created a powerful wind that rushed back into the opening.

A crimson, glowing substance—an active, secreted flesh—congealed into a sludge-like mass. It clung to the edge of the opening, trying to crawl out.

A massive claw, covered in interlocking, armor-like black scales that gave off a dark sheen, shot out and grabbed the fleshy mass, yanking it back inside.

”Wizard! You damned Wizard! I won’t accept this!” a venomous voice shrieked from the massive hole, accompanied by the sound of sharp, piercing barks.

Observing from another perspective, the Illusory Dream Wizard and the Gloom Wizard floated in mid-air, watching the scene unfold.

The Illusory Dream Wizard said in surprise, ”Bloodline True Body! The Demon Dragon Wizard really is direct. Such an impatient fellow.”

The Gloom Wizard’s gaze seemed to pierce through the makeshift tomb of dust and debris to see what was happening underground. A gigantic, dog-like creature—its body a mass of grotesque flesh covered in budding growths—was locked in combat with a Demon Dragon. The dragon had black wings, a body covered in black, armored scales, a single horn on its draconic head, and pupils that burned with Demon Flame.

Dog heads of all sizes sprouted from the giant canine’s body. They tried to gain the upper hand by biting the Demon Dragon, but they couldn’t even break through its defenses. The creature tried to latch on like a parasite, but it couldn’t find a single weak spot.

It was at a complete disadvantage. A victor would be decided in five minutes, tops.

The Gloom Wizard retracted her gaze. This result was within her expectations. The Gendas Evil God was never an Evil God skilled in combat; its truly frightening aspect was its survivability, its ability to stay alive.

She had come along precisely to guard against this possibility. Even the choice of which Official Wizard to carry out this Wizard Task had been made with careful consideration.

Her gaze fell upon the Illusory Dream Wizard. ”I’ll have to ask you to make a move, Illusory Dream Wizard,” the Gloom Wizard said. ”It’s highly likely that Gendas has hidden parts of its core essence elsewhere. It’s very clever. It left the bulk of its essence in the Capital City to mislead us and has even scattered large amounts of its derivative flesh to various locations throughout this Human Kingdom.”

”The Sea Wizard performed a divination beforehand. This Wizard Task shouldn’t have any major problems, but we do need to be wary of the Evil God rising from the ashes.”

”I understand. I’ll use my Dream Perspective to observe the entire Maya Kingdom and its surroundings,” the Illusory Dream Wizard replied, his figure vanishing on the spot.

......

「Dark Land.」

The Wizard Cities surrounding the headquarters district were generally the clan territories of the headquarters’ Wizard Clans. They were hubs of commerce, with many resource-related interests and a multitude of Extraordinary Shops.