The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

Wang Ya licked his dry lips. His gaze upon the two Night Moon Elves was fiery, as if he were about to devour them.

'I'm so looking forward to the results after the experiment is complete.'

Even in their deep sleep, the two Night Moon Elf sisters trembled instinctively under his fiery gaze. It was a primal reaction.

"Impressive Spiritual Perception. Your sensitivity meets my requirements. I hope you have enough willpower to hold on to your sense of self and resist the corrosion."

Wang Ya's gaze softened. 'Precious experimental materials must be handled with care.'

He couldn't help but recall the ordinary girl, Ras, from his time in the Maya Kingdom.

It was a textbook case. After entering that tent, she was subjected to the Evil God's modification techniques, lost her sense of self, and was ultimately dominated and controlled by Gundas' Dog.

Although a sliver of her consciousness remained, it had been twisted, her every emotion and desire amplified.

For a Wizard who always operated with absolute rationality and calm calculation, this was an extremely unfavorable outcome—a failure.

'But as long as one's will and Spirit are strong enough, there is hope of achieving a balance that one can control.'

......

"Are you kidding me? The Bailin Brothers are dead? Then who the hell am I supposed to collect the Magic Stones I loaned them from?"

Inside a Wizard's Residence on the Commercial Street, a Wizard Array muffled all sound. Otherwise, the commotion would have likely drawn the attention of every Wizard within a hundred-meter radius.

A tall figure in a black Wizard Robe had a terrifyingly dark expression. He appeared to be around thirty years old, and his aura indicated the Power of a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice, even faintly touching the threshold of Level 3.

Across from him sat a much shorter young man with a wry smile.

He bore at least a sixty percent resemblance to the tall figure, with a hint of immaturity in his features, looking to be about sixteen or seventeen.

"Damn it! I knew those two were unreliable. I shouldn't have let my sentimentality get the better of me. Now, forget about the exorbitant interest, I've lost the principal too!"

The tall Wizard slammed his right hand down on the table. The legs shattered instantly, and the entire thing disintegrated into a pile of splinters on the floor.

"Zack, who killed the Bailin Brothers?"

The young man in the Blue Wizard Robe froze for a second before blurting out, "You're not actually going to demand the Magic Stones back, are you?"

The young man frowned and added, "The Bailin Brothers have been missing for months. Their Wizard Marks are unresponsive, so they're presumed dead. But no one knows why they disappeared, so you're out of luck."

"However, before they disappeared, they were spending a lot of time with Wizards from the Shebel Clan and the Gobseck Clan."

A conflicted look, uncharacteristic for him, crossed Hades's rugged face. The Wizard Clans backing those two were too much trouble—they were among the ten great clans.

"The Shebel Clan and the Gobseck Clan have run into some trouble recently, and it's related to what you were just discussing." Kaze Antuun pushed the door open and entered, a hint of fatigue on his face.

"Father!" they both exclaimed.

Hades Antuun and Zack Antuun rose from their chairs and bowed slightly, their demeanor growing tense.

"Alright, sit down. What I'm about to tell you concerns high-level decisions regarding the Dark Land, as well as some critical details about the Secret Realm competition."

Kaze Antuun's expression grew serious. "The Wizard Family Alliance has been under a great deal of pressure lately, particularly those two clans. On account of their Direct Lineage members, Mengta and Reif, they are being suppressed by the School Lineage."

"In the end, they will likely sacrifice Mengta and Reif to put this matter to rest for good."

Hades let out a low hiss and asked cautiously, "Don't tell me... it's because of the loan I gave the Bailin Brothers?"

Kaze Antuun shot him a look but didn't speak, only sneering coldly.

"Worst-case scenario, I won't ask them for it. I'll go to the Bailin Brothers' elders for the Magic Stones," Hades grumbled. "It's only right and proper to pay your debts."

"Have you been cooped up experimenting with your Long Spear Witchcraft Artifact for too long? The Bailin Clan became history three months ago." Kaze Antuun's eyes glinted darkly as he said, "And I, your old man, was the one who personally sent them on their way."

Hades: "..."

Zack: "..."

'So you're the one who's been hiding the deepest, Father.'

Kaze Antuun's gaze fell upon Zack Antuun, and his tone grew solemn. "Next, you need to focus on increasing your Power. The clan will give you the best resources and the fullest support. We will also prepare everything you need related to Cultivation Witchcraft."

"The Secret Realm competition is an opportunity for our Antuun Clan. You won't just be competing against members of other Wizard Clans, but also those from the School Lineage. They've gotten involved as well, and you will face rivals more formidable than ever before."

Zack Antuun's face was set with determination. "Father, I will not fail. I have already mastered all the prerequisite Low-tier Witchcraft. I can now begin to study Middle-tier Witchcraft."

"Your talent rivals that of Isar. You are the new hope of the Antuun Clan." Kaze Antuun clapped Zack on the shoulder. "I hope you will make good use of the Elemental Energy Witchcraft legacy that Isar left behind."

But a flash of resentment flickered in Zack's eyes. He pursed his lips and lowered his head, saying nothing.

But inwardly, he made a resolution. 'I am Zack, not someone else's replacement. I never will be.'