The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

For Wang Ya, time was always of the essence.

Becoming the Illusory Dream Wizard's disciple didn't mean he was free from pressure.

There was also competition among the Extraordinary Schools, all concerning the allocation of resources from the Dark Land Headquarters.

As a Heritage Wizard, he had to measure up to the Wizards of other Inheritance Lineages. At the very least, he couldn't fall too far behind them.

"Kaze Wizard, if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now." Wang Ya showed a look of polite apology, then stood up and pushed the door open to leave.

He made no attempt to engage with the other man's words, nor did he show any intention of continuing the conversation.

The man had shown no sincerity from the very beginning.

There was no point in staying any longer. He would be better off reading more books on the second floor of the Dark Library.

After Wang Ya left, Kaze Antuun's expression instantly froze, his eyes becoming utterly indifferent.

Kaze Antuun gently lifted a cup of tea and drank it, swallowing with great force. Yet, when he placed the cup back on the table, his movement was remarkably gentle.

He stood up, his face devoid of expression, and a terrifying, bone-chilling aura emanated from him.

It was all tightly suppressed within the room by the circulation of the Witch Array, unable to escape.

But it was obvious the Witch Array was struggling; even the temperature regulation and fresh air circulation systems were beginning to malfunction.

Kaze Antuun knew the other man was just playing dumb. He was certain Wang Ya knew exactly what he was talking about; he had even detected the subtle, abnormal shift in his emotions.

His words had hit their mark.

'After all, he's an Inheritor Disciple on the path to becoming an Official Wizard. He certainly has the right to ignore a mere Extreme Wizard Apprentice like me.'

He suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh, but the smile was utterly cold, and his eyes glinted with a frigid light.

'The Black Sun Badge must be taken back. It's the Antuun Clan's only hope to rise.'

'No matter what it takes.'

"One shouldn't be too greedy!"

Kaze Antuun sighed, his voice echoing in the room. "You've already gained so much—things I can only envy. Why are you still not satisfied?"

"You snatched the position of Child of the Dark, you received all sorts of rewards, you used the genius newcomers from the major Wizard Clans as your stepping stones and stole the entire spotlight."

"Then you learned the Rhine Lineage's inheritance, won the favor of the Illusory Dream Wizard, and became his Inheritor Disciple... After all that, why are you still not satisfied?"

His voice grew fainter, dropping to a whisper. "I'm not asking for much. I just want back what belongs to the Antuun Clan. Such an insignificant little thing."

"Wang Ya Harak, you're the one forcing my hand!"

He had no way out.

The only chance left for the Antuun Clan was the Black Sun Inheritance.

He wasn't a Heritage Wizard, so there was some extremely secret information he had no way of learning.

The Dark Cultivation Plan was related to "Lan," but only the heads of the ten great clans knew what "Lan" actually was.

Cliques and inner circles existed, and he desperately wanted to break into them, to make the Antuun Clan a member—or something even greater.

His fists clenched subconsciously.

"Even the Illusory Dream Wizard has to abide by the rules of the Dark Land."

"Wang Ya Harak, you can't just ignore everything. The Black Sun Badge will return to the Antuun Clan's possession."

.....

In the geography reference room of the Library's second floor, Wang Ya saw Slate Wizard. He was standing beneath a rotating bookshelf, flipping through a book titled *Lost Sea*.

His expression was one of intense concentration. He took a monocle from the pocket of his brown Wizard Robe, and his deep-set eye socket held the lens in place with ease.

Wang Ya didn't disturb him, instead proceeding with his usual routine.

He pulled a book titled *Detailed Explanation of Special Spaces* from a shelf, and his Eye of Truth silently recorded the relevant information.

Wang Ya was indeed curious about spaces that existed independently of the real world.

He only had a preliminary understanding of some concepts regarding the Inner World and Outer Space.

The Illusory Dream Wizard's previous words had a significant impact on him. The Dream Mage System was extremely unique and seemed to be related to these kinds of special spaces.

After setting down the third such book of special records, Wang Ya looked up and exchanged a slight nod with Slate Wizard.

"Little guy... no, that's not right. You're not so little anymore. The Illusory Dream Wizard's second Inheritor Disciple. I suppose I have to call you Master Wizard Wang Ya now. Your status is much higher than mine."

Slate and Wang Ya walked side-by-side down the corridor, chatting as they went. Slate even gave Wang Ya a wink.

Wang Ya paid no mind to Slate's teasing. For someone to become an Extreme Wizard Apprentice, their Power alone was the greatest foundation for their status.

Besides, who could say for sure that Slate, who worked in the second-floor Library, didn't have a background in an Inheritance Lineage himself?

The one working downstairs was 'Kelan', a Heritage Wizard from the Illusion Illusory Dream Lineage, who also possessed the Power of an Extreme Wizard Apprentice.

"Slate Wizard, are there any books in the Library about the Inner World and Outer Space?" Wang Ya stated his request.

Slate smiled. "You want to learn about that sort of thing? Isn't that a bit premature for you?"

"But for you, common sense like that doesn't really apply. The Library does have information on the subject, but you understand the rules."

"In the Core Area of the geography reference room, you start getting into Extraordinary materials. Some of the books themselves are made of extremely special materials, and the words on them carry Extraordinary Power."

Slate Wizard added a reminder, "If you want to consult those books, you need to be careful not to let their contents affect your Spirit. Generally, only Extreme Wizard Apprentices come to look up that kind of information."

The fee for consulting a book in the Core Area was five Magic Stones.

'I should probably make a trip to the Resource Management Department first,' Wang Ya thought for a moment.

Since Slate had gone out of his way to warn him, it proved that the risks associated with those books were anything but ordinary.

His current State was indeed not suitable for consulting books on that subject.

.....

As Wang Ya walked out of the Resource Management Department, a joyful smile spread across his face. The last time he'd worn such an expression was when Harak's Infinite Genome experiment succeeded and he won first place in the Secret Realm competition.

'If it were those two, Gray and Mas, they'd probably start hooting and hollering if they saw the number of Magic Stones and Extraordinary Resources I have now.'

[Current Magic Stones: 15,000]

[Current Dark Points: 3,000]

[Current Authority: Level 3]

The Magic Stones and Dark Points were the reward for taking first place in the Secret Realm competition, and there was also a monthly stipend.

Being a Child of the Dark was considered a position in its own right.

Wang Ya's current supply of Magic Stones and Dark Points had already surpassed what he'd had at his peak.

Most crucial was his Permission Level, which represented the conveniences he could access within the Dark Land Headquarters.

It would be useful for everything from accessing information to entering and exiting important locations within the headquarters.

Even Wizards assigned to other departments had no authority over a Child of the Dark. On the contrary, if a Child of the Dark were to be promoted further to the rank of "Dark Walker," they could in turn manage some of the assigned Wizards.

For example, when undertaking a Wizard Task in various Wizard Cities, they could temporarily mobilize City Lord Mansion Wizards, Law Enforcement Wizards, and the like.

A step further, upon reaching the rank of Dark Star, they would have no problem directly mobilizing Wizards from the headquarters' Law Enforcement Department.

The average Extreme Wizard Apprentice only had Level 2 Authority.

Level 3 Authority was equivalent to that of the chief and second-in-command of the various Extraordinary Schools.

[Wizard Secret Realm Entries: Illusory Dream Garden (1), Self-Selected Secret Realm (2)]

[Extraordinary Discipline Selections: Self-Selected High-tier Discipline (1)]

[Land of Inheritance Selections: Self-Selected High-tier Inheritance Knowledge (1), Self-Selected Advanced Inheritance Knowledge (1)]

[Note: After a Child of the Dark completes their designated tasks, all rewards are increased by 10%. During Wizard Tasks, a small number of local Wizards can be requisitioned for assistance. The designated task interval has been changed from once every three months to once every six months.]

[Note: When a Child of the Dark enters the Land of Inheritance to exchange Dark Points for Inheritance Knowledge, they will receive a 10% discount.]

A smile hung on Wang Ya's face. No wonder the people from the Wizard Family Alliance plotted so extensively. Even the chiefs and their seconds-in-command from the major Extraordinary Factions were in on it.

These were real, tangible benefits.

They were enough to make even an Extreme Wizard Apprentice's breath catch in their throat.

The entry to the 'Illusory Dream Garden,' one self-selected Secret Realm entry, and the selection of Advanced knowledge from the Land of Inheritance were all rewards from the Evil God task.

The rest were all benefits from the recent Secret Realm competition.

Dark Wizard Lower House.

Many Wizards bustled through the academy garden, their footsteps hurried as they entered their respective teaching buildings before their Extraordinary Discipline classes began.

Looking around at the academy, he felt a strange sense of dissonance, even though it had only been half a month.

A smile touched the corners of his lips. In the end, he had only just shed his status as a newcomer to become a senior student.

It would be another thirty-two years before the next batch of new students was recruited.

The administrative building where Gusai Wizard worked was in the opposite direction from the main administration building.

As the Wizard Mark in his palm pulsed and the fluctuations of a Witch Array enveloped him, Wang Ya opened his eyes to find he had arrived on Gusai Wizard's floor.

Wizards, it seemed, had a fondness for carpets and office doors crafted from a special, dense wood.

A knock on the door made Gusai Wizard, who was busy at his desk, look up and set down his feather pen.

"Come in!"

Gusai Wizard was somewhat surprised to see the person who pushed the door open and walked in.

"It's been a while, Gusai Wizard," Wang Ya said with a smile.

Gusai Wizard nodded slightly, a small smile on his face. Although his own plans for Wang Ya hadn't come to fruition, the boy becoming the Illusory Dream Wizard's disciple was a far, far better outcome.

He was quite taken aback after learning the reason for Wang Ya's visit.

"You want to purchase Advanced Extraordinary Knowledge that isn't part of the curriculum!"

'In my view,' Gusai Wizard thought, 'is there any Extraordinary Knowledge more systematic than what is taught within the Extraordinary Factions? Especially since it's all part of a single lineage, allowing the various forms of Witchcraft to link together seamlessly.'

'Especially since he's the Illusory Dream Wizard's Inheritor Disciple. He can certainly learn even more precious Inheritance Witchcraft. He shouldn't need to purchase the Wizard knowledge available through my authority.'

If Wang Ya knew what Gusai was thinking, he probably would have had a lot to say.

However, Wang Ya very much agreed with the Illusory Dream Wizard's point of view.

Every Wizard's Path is one they must walk themselves. They need to comprehend, choose, and arrive at unknown outcomes on their own.

Even the ancient Wizards who created the Wizard Meditation Methods did their best to minimize their influence on younger generations of Wizards.

Having a forerunner like the Illusory Dream Wizard to point out the shortcomings or errors on his path was already more than enough.

A sudden thought even occurred to Wang Ya: 'Advancing to Official Wizard is so difficult. Could the reason that the chief and second-in-command seats, and all those Extreme Wizard Apprentices struggle so much, be because they are too heavily influenced by other Wizards?'

'After all, they master the Witchcraft and Wizard knowledge of their School's founder and numerous other Official Wizards. Even their own Wizard Paths are extremely similar to one another.'

'Under such circumstances, it would be very difficult to forge a Wizard Path that is truly their own. It would be tainted by too many shadows of others' paths.'

The Dream Mage System, from what the Illusory Dream Wizard described, relied more on self-comprehension.

The three required forms of Witchcraft were also quite fundamental, seemingly intended to give Wang Ya a basic understanding.

Gusai Wizard spoke with Wang Ya for a while longer, then transmitted the information for the corresponding Extraordinary Knowledge to him through his Wizard Mark.

In the end, Wang Ya selected six pieces of Advanced-level Extraordinary Knowledge. Two were related to Elemental Particle Energy, one was related to Biological Cultivation (the volume on Magical Plants), and the remaining three were for a deeper study of Wizard Experiments.

....