The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

Mas was carving up the Red Flame Giant Tiger's body with a broken long sword. Looking at Gray, his face held a hint of envy. "Witch Array Techniques are incredible. They can save your life. Who knows, they might even be a huge help in the Secret Realm competition."

A faint, watery halo of light—the lingering effect of the Witch Array Witchcraft, Water Guardian—still shimmered on Gray's chest, though it was already starting to fade. He gave a wry smile. "They are indeed good. My luck has always been decent. But you can't use external items or Witch Array Techniques in the Secret Realm competition."

"True. If we could actually use them, there'd be no point for new students like us to even participate. We could just sit back and watch the students from the Wizard Clans show off," Mas said, prying out the Red Flame Giant Tiger's fangs with his Short Sword.

"Mastering the Wizard Meditation Method, cultivating Witchcraft, completing Wizard Tasks, and studying Extraordinary Disciplines… For over a year now, almost two… I really don't know how I've held on." Mas was overcome with emotion. He had matured a great deal and had forged a true Wizard's Heart.

Mas asked Gray, "My Spiritual Power is only at thirteen. Yours must be higher. And your mastery of Witchcraft… You're a monster, man. You've mastered at least two Low-tier Witchcrafts."

Gray scratched his messy hair and said with a grin, "We're all about the same. Compared to the new students from the Wizard Clans, we're still a long way off."

"Just do your best. Anyway, we still have the last six months. How much we can improve, how much we can learn—it's all up in the air. Just show them everything you've got. Even if we fail, it's no big deal," Mas said, comforting Gray in turn.

Though the latter was smiling, a glint appeared in his eyes as if he had thought of something, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a mysterious arc.

'Failure?... That's not a sure thing at all.'

.......

The autumn wind swept the fallen leaves, a desolate chill gradually filling every corner of the Dark Land.

As the seasons turned, the bitter cold of winter and a blanket of white snow were only a few months away.

Inside the laboratory, an irrepressible laugh echoed. Anyone could hear the joy within it.

Wang Ya, dressed in a lab coat, had truly never been so overjoyed. It was the happiness of finally reaping the rewards after countless hardships—a heartfelt joy, brimming with satisfaction.

With a fervent gaze, he stared at the creature in the incubation tank. The constantly secreting flesh and dripping, black, sludge-like fluid were, in his eyes, perfect.

This was a creation beyond description!

It was like filth from Hell itself—dense and murky. Black feathers were matted with a black liquid, and an avian body spread its wings within, like a fallen angel. Its legs were long and slender, its talons as black as onyx and so deeply reflective that staring at them for too long could induce a spiritual trance.

Its body was featherless, just a surface of ravine-like flesh that was still writhing. Fleshy, black tendrils thrashed menacingly across its skin. Its head still bore some resemblance to the original Harak, but now it sported a single, bone-white, ossified horn that gave it a ghastly air.

Its pupils were as black as ink, leaking a black fluid with the viscosity of crude oil. It watched Wang Ya's figure outside the tank wall, its gaze as unchanging as ever.

But its other transformations were immense. If Wang Ya wished, he could make Harak, in its current state, transform into other species or even cover its body in wing-like feathers without any issue.

This was a creation of infinite, adaptive potential.

Splatters of the black fluid slapped against the tank wall. Wang Ya couldn't hide his excitement, a fine, blue light glittering in his pupils.

New data for Harak appeared before his eyes.

I fell asleep last night so there was no update. The next chapter will probably be around 4 or 5. I'll see if I can make up for yesterday's missed chapter today.