The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

The oldest Yin Wood in the Erosion Forest was five thousand years old; any older than that had already been harvested by the Dark Land Headquarters as precious Extraordinary Materials.

A figure in a Wizard Robe stood beside a massive Yin Wood tree, supporting his entire body with just his right hand, keeping his legs from touching the ground below.

To be precise, it wasn’t ground at all, but a bottomless expanse of murky, putrid liquid. However, years of accumulated leaves and dust concealed the danger perfectly. Zack Antuun could even sense greedy eyes peering at him from the depths.

A cold sneer touched his lips. ’What sort of creature dares to target me?’

Gray Particle Energy spread from his fingertips and onto the Yin Wood. He manipulated several branches, causing them to wrap around a Soul-Devouring Snake. Sharp splinters of wood grew inside its body, riddling it with holes in an instant. Green blood dripped onto the murky surface below.

Stirred by the scent of blood, what appeared to be a piece of driftwood suddenly moved. SPLASH! A black-skinned lizard with a long, flat mouth like a crocodile’s leaped from the water, snapping down with rows of shark-like teeth.

A torrent of cold, gray Particle Energy enveloped the unknown Extraordinary Creature, binding its body and limbs. As the energy constricted, patches of a wood-like texture began to appear all over its skin and flesh.

Zack Antuun sneered. "You’ll do for a start. Become my first Puppet."

’Heaven-Filling Fire is more suited to Isar’s Witchcraft, but the Erosion Forest is the perfect environment for my Puppetry Witchcraft to thrive.’

A moment later, a creature—half plant-like wood, half flesh and blood—floated on the swamp’s surface. Zack stood on its back, his expression filled with anticipation. ’Every creature in this Secret Realm can become my Puppet, under my complete control. With enough Puppets, I can find the Dark Badges no matter how well they’re hidden. Or...’

A cold glint appeared in his eyes. ’...finding the other Wizards will work just as well. I can always get more Dark Badges from them. Those who know what’s good for them can get out of my way. Those who don’t can die.’

The pressure on him was immense. He carried the future of the Antuun Clan on his shoulders, and he had to prove to his father that he was no one’s replacement.

He could perform better than anyone. He would secure a spot in the top three and prove himself to everyone.

And he would stop at nothing to achieve it.

...

In other areas of the Erosion Forest, the Wizard Freshmen were making their own choices. Some successfully found Dark Badges, while others encountered danger and were forced to withdraw from the Secret Realm.

The assessment had begun the moment they set foot in the Secret Realm.

This mixed bag of freshmen would be sifted through during the assessment, filtering out all but those with true potential. These select few would become the new blood of the Dark Land—its true future.

Not just anyone was worthy of receiving opportunities and resources from the Dark Land Headquarters.

The events were displayed on projected light screens in Freshman Square, monitored in real-time by the Witch Array Core. The feed was then transcribed to the Dark Information Hub, where any interested Wizards from the Headquarters could pay a fee in Magic Stones to view it.

Of course, the Wizards present at Freshman Square could watch for free.

Jialan Wizard had already left, likely to take an afternoon nap.

Still, only a few of the Teaching Wizards had departed. Lando Wizard and Wind Wizard stood beside Gusai Wizard, conversing among themselves as they watched the projected images.

Kaze Antuun stood nearby as well, his back ramrod straight, his eyes fixed on the light screen. The core automatically selected and displayed the most important events, such as a Wizard Freshman being eliminated, encountering danger, or engaging in combat.

It also highlighted encounters between freshmen and the resulting outcomes.

"This batch of Wizard Freshmen... how should I put it? The strong are way too strong, and the weak are just too weak," Lando Wizard said with a yawn. "It’s kind of boring. Nothing exciting to watch."

Wind Wizard added, "We’re still in the elimination phase, weeding out the weaker freshmen. The ones who are left will run into each other sooner or later. The more Dark Badges someone has, the wider the informational fluctuations they emit."

"It’s like a plump piece of flesh that attracts other Hunters, but that flesh is guarded by a powerful Hunter of its own," Kaze Antuun suddenly interjected. An aggressive glint in his eyes, he smiled and asked, "So, gentlemen, who do you think will be the final Hunter in the Erosion Forest?"

The atmosphere grew tense. The two sides belonged to different factions.

But Kaze was an Extreme Wizard Apprentice, after all, so Gusai Wizard took the initiative to respond. "That is something only time can confirm. Only a Hunter who is sufficiently powerful, outstanding, and wise will be the last one standing."

Lando Wizard suddenly exclaimed, "Whoa, here comes the good part! The little guy we chose is about to run into another Wizard. No, wait, not just one! There’s another Wizard Freshman coming from the other direction. A three-way standoff... Tsk tsk, now this is interesting!"

The conversation between Gusai Wizard and Kaze Antuun was cut short as both turned their gazes to the screen.

The former watched with a hint of anticipation. The latter, however, was filled with curiosity and scrutiny, wanting to gauge the Power of this hidden card from the School Lineage and determine if he posed a threat to the plans of the Wizard Family Alliance.