The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

Within the Dark Tower of the Dark Wizard.

The Gloom Wizard swung her little feet, perched on a chair clearly meant for an adult. Her small hand held a feather pen, seemingly writing something. The densely packed characters seemed to squirm like tadpoles.

These characters were indeed alive, and they contained a top-secret piece of information from the last Dark Summit Conference.

A letter addressed to the neighboring Wizard Influences.

The Gloom Wizard seemed to notice something. A helpless smile touched her lips as she said, "The Illusory Dream Wizard, honestly... he shouldn’t tease the youngsters like that."

Another voice, that of a mature woman, sounded in the room. "I, for one, am quite curious. What is it about this young man, Wang Ya Harak, that so attracts the Illusory Dream Wizard?"

"His performance in the Secret Realm was outstanding, but surely not enough to warrant an Official Wizard personally intervening."

The Gloom Wizard mused, "Who can say? Perhaps it’s related to the Illusory Dream Wizard’s own Wizard Path. After all, the Illusory Dream Lineage is the only one that follows the Dream Mage System."

"That young man’s innate understanding of Witchcraft is truly exceptional. He would have fit right in with the Rhine Lineage or the White Bone Lineage. Even the Rhein Wizard was tempted, but the Illusory Dream Wizard, that character, showed up in person and immediately put an end to any of the Rhein Wizard’s notions. Quite a decisive move."

"That crow of his is rather special," the mature female voice said. "I couldn’t discern its true nature, but it seems to operate on a minute level, controlling a vast number of Extraordinary Creatures. It has some of the hallmarks of a Blood Wizard."

The Gloom Wizard smiled. "Every Wizard has their secrets. It’s only normal for the young man to have his own."

’Though,’ she thought, ’I’ve already figured it out. It’s related to the Evil God incident in the Maya Kingdom. He’s likely making use of some of the inherent traits of the Gendas Evil God’s very flesh and blood.’

’You could say he’s following the Blood Wizard Path, and he’s already reached a remarkably high level.’

’Putting his true self aside, even a portion of his flesh-and-blood avatars possess combat strength comparable to an Official Wizard’s.’

’Whatever that young man obtained from the Gendas Evil God, his actions are without a doubt provoking the Evil God’s bottom line.’

’As long as he stays out of the Inner World and remains in Outer Space, he’ll be fine. But if he enters, that young man is in for a rough time.’

"The first stage of the Child of the Dark plan is in motion. For the remaining two hundred years, the second and third stages must also be implemented steadily."

"The nearby Wizard Influences are likely preparing as well. We should make sure the young wizards at Headquarters are aware of this. Put some pressure on them so they don’t get complacent."

The Gloom Wizard smiled. "The real pressure hasn’t even arrived yet."

.......

The competition in the Freshman Secret Realm was officially over.

However, certain events that transpired had many of the Wizards at the Dark Land Headquarters still talking, even half a month later.

In the nearby Wizard City, the Wizards stationed there made it a topic of gossip, entertaining themselves in their leisure time by discussing it with newcomers and Old Wizards alike.

The most widely discussed topic was the appearance of an Official Wizard, who had recruited the top-ranked Wizard Freshman as an Inheritor Disciple.

With the help of certain interested parties, footage of the various Wizard Freshmen’s battles within the Secret Realm also began to circulate.

It even spread beyond the Dark Land’s sphere of influence, eliciting responses from the territories of other Wizard Influences.

This time, Wang Ya had well and truly made a name for himself.

"You must be curious as to why Headquarters would do such a thing—deliberately spreading information about you Wizard Freshmen through the Glowing Corridor."

The Illusory Dream Wizard’s voice echoed slowly through the Maple Leaf Forest. An autumn wind sent leaves fluttering down, scattering great drifts of them across the stone path that cut through the woods.

The young man in the black Wizard Robe frowned slightly. He started to speak, but unable to grasp the underlying reason, he closed his mouth and said nothing.

The autumn wind stirred his hair as Wang Ya walked among the dancing maple leaves, creating a fantastical scene. In truth, this Maple Leaf Forest was the only place where he could regularly speak with the Illusory Dream Wizard.

In the distance, a magnificent Wizard Tower pulsed with Particle Energy. The rippling Energy Field generated by its Witch Array Core radiated outward, affecting the environment for at least two hundred thousand meters in every direction.

After becoming the Illusory Dream Wizard’s disciple, he had moved out of his original Wizard’s Residence and into the Illusory Dream Tower. He had also been granted permission to teleport in and out at will anywhere within a two-hundred-thousand-meter radius.

The interior space of the Illusory Dream Tower was immense, housing all sorts of facilities. These included, but were not limited to, large-scale Wizard’s Laboratories stocked with all manner of top-tier Wizard Instruments, as well as incomparably vast biological cultivation grounds and a Magic Plant Garden.

If the Folding Space of any single floor were to be fully unfurled, it would be nearly as large as the entire Dark Wizard Lower House.

Maple leaves swirled together, gradually forming a faint, shimmering phantom. The Illusory Dream Wizard thus appeared, walking side-by-side with Wang Ya as he began to explain. "You now possess a spot as a Child of the Dark, making you part of the Dark Cultivation Plan. You’ve gained many privileges and a great deal of support in terms of resources... but it’s a two-way street. The more you receive, the more obligations you must also shoulder."

"These obligations, you could say, are the price for the privileges you’ve been given."

At the end of the stone path lay a vast lake. A man-made walkway led to an island at the lake’s center, which was also covered in tall Maple Trees.