The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

Thankfully, the hall was extremely spacious, large enough to contain the area of effect of the Witchcraft being cast. Otherwise, it would have been a disaster, inflicting massive damage on the enemy but taking heavy losses in the process.

The eerie smile on Luo Dan's face widened, the corners of his mouth splitting into a massive fissure that stretched all the way to his ears.

Dark Particle Energy spewed from his mouth, forming a thick black fog. It spread rapidly through the surrounding area, engulfing the fierce gale.

The black fog, which should have been blown away, instead showed extreme viscosity. It swelled violently but refused to disperse.

"This path is closed," Luo Dan's voice echoed from within the black fog.

The main doors were pushed open, and in came the Law Enforcement Wizards, led by none other than Murphy. He stood at the entrance and shouted, "By order of the City Lord, you are all under arrest! You will be locked away in the Wizard Prison. I advise you not to resist. You are suspects in an exceptionally vicious murder."

"A Wizard from the City Lord's Mansion has been killed, and the City Lord's treasure has been stolen! The culprit is among you!"

A large contingent of Law Enforcement Wizards quickly secured all the exits, while the rest charged into the hall behind Murphy.

Lady Rilis couldn't be sure who the person was, so to be on the safe side, she decided to capture all the headquarters' Wizards who had arrived recently and extract their memories.

Then, she would have the Black Souls from the Black Core possess their bodies, taking over the Wizards' identities.

The whites of his eyes were webbed with black veins, and faint wisps of dark energy trickled from Murphy's nostrils and ears. He, too, was naturally one of the many Black Souls from the Black Core.

However, because his original Power was great enough, his soul was able to hold a high position within the Black Core even after Lady Rilis killed him. Thus, he earned the chance to possess a body once more.

"What the hell are you idiots doing? Have you all gone mad?" Zack Antuun couldn't help but curse. Things were spiraling in a direction he could have never predicted.

'No wonder my right eyelid has been twitching ever since I left the Dark Land. Nothing good ever happens when I follow this Wang Ya Harak guy!'

'At this rate, I'm going to end up getting killed at this less-than-appetizing banquet.'

He refused to believe that these traveling Wizards from headquarters didn't even have the Ability to control a Biological Force Field, yet here they were, fighting among themselves.

'So many Law Enforcement Wizards and City Lord Mansion Wizards have arrived. It feels like we're all about to be wiped out in one fell swoop.'

Zack Antuun scanned his surroundings, maintaining his Biological Force Field and Particle Energy Shield while searching for an escape route.

He suddenly spun around, his gaze locking onto Max, who had remained in his seat without moving this entire time.

It had all started, arguably, when Max took out that black sphere, released that bizarre black light, and began those strange, delirious ramblings.

As a Puppet Wizard, Zack Antuun couldn't see the Black Spells, but he felt an instinctual revulsion and a sense of doom. He had subconsciously taken a few steps back, which had allowed him to narrowly avoid being ensnared by some of the Black Spells.

He glanced at Wang Ya, who also hadn't moved from his seat. Zack Antuun then confronted Max, demanding, "City Lord, what is the meaning of this? We are Wizards from headquarters! Are you betraying the Dark Land?"

Max stood up, cradling the black sphere in both hands, an eerie smile on his face. "Zack Wizard, your words are out of line. I am the City Lord appointed by the Dark Land, and I am utterly loyal to headquarters."

"My Law Enforcement Captain has already stated the reason. As long as you cooperate, there won't be any issues. Once our investigation is complete, we will give you a proper welcoming feast and provide generous compensation."

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon Wang Ya. This Wizard, called Arthur, hadn't moved at all, as if he were scared stiff.

He also showed signs of a faltering consciousness, of his Spiritual Power on the verge of collapse.

Even if a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice were to bear the full brunt of the Black Souls' maddening whispers and spiritual contamination, they shouldn't be in this state.

This abnormal reaction put Max on high alert.

He even began to wonder if this was the Wizard who had been spying on his Curse Core.

But it didn't matter. Whether it was him or not, every Dark Land Wizard present today had to die and become one of the thousands of Black Souls within his Black Core.

The soul of a Wizard was extremely valuable; it could be used to create an army of Level 2 Wizard Apprentices to serve as his helpers.

'They just need to be broken in for a while, and they always submit eventually...' Max—no, it was Rilis. The light behind her suddenly dimmed as a massive amount of black energy surged forth, all of it immensely powerful Curse Power.

The fluctuations of her Extraordinary Spiritual Power and the quality of her Particle Energy completely overwhelmed every other Wizard present, reaching an entirely different plane of existence.

The level of a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice.

The Black Core in her hand pulsed in response. One by one, Black Souls squeezed out of it and rushed excitedly into the black energy, gradually forming the same shadowy darkness Wang Ya had once seen envelop the entire city.

Its scale and might were utterly terrifying. Even Wang Ya's heart pounded in alarm. 'I have to stop her!'

Wang Ya finally made his move. His previous inaction was partly to probe the Black Wizard for weaknesses, to see if he could snatch the black sphere directly from her hands.

But it was also because she had focused a great deal of her attention on him.

Any sudden move would have been detected, prompting her to attack him with her full power.

His Illusion Body couldn't withstand much damage from Witchcraft; if it was going to take a hit, it had to be for a good reason.

Thoughts raced through Wang Ya's mind. Before he even made his move, he had already formulated the next phase of his plan.

The Dream Gap was ever-present.

With a surge of Dream Power, Wang Ya's figure vanished.

This stunned Rilis, who had been watching Wang Ya closely. Before she could even react, she sensed an attack from another direction.

Zack Antuun had struck. A large amount of wooden material extended from the cuffs of his robes, forming a cannon muzzle. Gathering Particle Energy, he blasted it directly at Rilis.

He was wary of the strange Witchcraft Rilis was in the middle of casting.

He couldn't see the black energy, but he could see the shadows formed by the Black Souls. The immense pressure and sense of impending doom made his skin crawl.

But then, something truly terrifying happened.

The Energy Cannon Attack, on par with a Middle-tier Witchcraft, vanished the instant it neared Rilis, as if devoured by a giant, invisible mouth.

"What the hell?" Zack Antuun's jaw dropped. When he then realized Wang Ya had vanished, his face turned pale. "Wang Ya Harak, you bastard! You ran away!"

In reality, Zack Antuun's attack had indeed been devoured by a pitch-black maw that resembled some chaotic beast.

'A strange thing... It has the scent of souls, but there's something more. It's unique.' Wang Ya's body was in an illusory state within the Dream Gap. This was an effect he could achieve by fusing Particle Energy with Dream Power, using a special resonance he developed while studying the properties of the Dream Gap.

In essence, he remained motionless in his original spot. A direct Witchcraft Attack, or perhaps the pressure from an Extraordinary Spiritual Power, could still affect him and force him out of his illusory state.

Such an attack would disrupt the resonance between the Dream Gap and Wang Ya's Dream Power.

It was an improved version of the special Witchcraft that could instantly access the Dream Gap, and it was called 'Illusory Body'.

However, its ability to withstand a single Witchcraft Attack could give Wang Ya the initiative, allowing him to seize control of the battle's rhythm.

'Hm, so she can detect me. A Black Wizard's Soul Witchcraft and Curse Witchcraft are as troublesome as they say.'

...