The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

Murphy stared in horror at Wang Ya, who was right behind him. He couldn't understand how the man had appeared so silently, like a phantom.

DRIP!

The sound of dripping blood was startlingly clear, and a heavy silence fell over the hall.

Murphy and the other Black Souls remained frozen in place, obeying Rilis's command.

"What do you want?" Rilis's voice was devoid of any inflection.

Wang Ya's Illusion Body fully materialized. He sensed the lingering Dream Power, and his brow furrowed slightly beneath his Red Lotus Mask. 'I need to hurry.'

As long as there had been physical contact, a Dream Seed could be silently planted inside another person's body.

When he had first arrived in Celestial Wings Wizard City, Murphy had shaken Wang Ya's hand. Taking precautions, Wang Ya had planted a Dream Seed in him then.

Now, due to a combination of factors, it had produced a brilliant result.

For all Wizards except Mechanical Wizards, the physical body played a crucial role; it was something that could never be abandoned.

This forced Rilis's hand, allowing Wang Ya to achieve his next objective.

"I don't want to do anything. The question is, what are *you* trying to do? As Wizards of the Dark Land, you dare to attack a Wizard from Headquarters... Are you planning to betray the Dark Land?"

A murderous glint flashed in Rilis's eyes, but she understood his implication. "This is just a misunderstanding," she said immediately. "We were merely catching a petty thief."

"And have you caught him now?"

"He has been caught, and we have also dealt with the culprit who killed the City Lord Mansion Wizard. I will give you both a certain amount of compensation as my apology." Rilis felt a deep sense of humiliation. She, a dignified Level 3 Wizard Apprentice from the Natural Ring Tower and a member of the Spirit of Nature, had actually been bested by a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice here.

Five whole years of lying in wait, and now it was all for naught.

Letting these two go meant her infiltration plan was a complete failure.

But if she didn't let them go, the outcome would be even more unacceptable to her.

'This damned guy's methods are too bizarre. I still haven't figured out the principle behind his disappearing and reappearing trick.'

To think that she, of all people, felt a sense of dread toward a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice... it was simply unbelievable.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Zack Antuun's mouth. 'To think that at this critical moment, that annoying guy, Wang Ya Harak, would turn out to be so unexpectedly reliable.'

'Not having to die is the best possible outcome.'

The three Wolf-Headed Black Souls ceased their attack, dissolving into wisps of black smoke. The other Illusion Body of Wang Ya looked quite battered, its robes in disarray, but thankfully, it hadn't sustained any damage.

This was extremely important to Wang Ya.

This Illusion Body of Wang Ya was the core that maintained the Illusion Demon Domain, ensuring the fusion and amplification of Particle Energy and Dream Power.

It was crucial for the next step of his plan.

Don't be fooled by the current situation where both sides had reached a stalemate and were negotiating a resolution to let each other go.

That was just a facade. If she had the chance, the Black Wizard woman would never let him and Zack Antuun go.

He could even feel the venomous hatred and killing intent radiating from her.

The reason Wang Ya had managed to get this far was because 'Max'—no, Rilis—was in a state of fury and hadn't calmed down.

He had seized upon her weakness, forcing her onto the back foot and leading her step by step according to his influence.

Once she calmed down, with her Extraordinary Spiritual Power and Biological Force Field as a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice—especially since Rilis's Spiritual Power Value had reached a staggering 37—she would definitely be able to detect the existence of Wang Ya's Illusion Demon Domain.

She might even see through his Combined Witchcraft, 'Celestial Fire Illusion Body.'

[Celestial Fire Illusion Body (Combined Witchcraft): Within the range of the Illusion Demon Domain, allows for the instantaneous teleportation of an Illusion Body. Also allows the real body and the Illusion Body to switch places. Can conceal one's aura for a deeper hiding of the Illusory Body. Can absorb a certain amount of Witchcraft. If the enemy has a Dream Seed, the absorbed Witchcraft can be directly transferred to that enemy.]

The only weakness was the deployed Illusion Demon Domain. If it were to be broken, no matter how many Illusion Bodies Wang Ya had, they would be useless against Rilis. He wouldn't even be able to get close to her.

"City Lord, we also came here to complete a Wizard Task. Since this is a misunderstanding, why don't we each take a step back and sign a Wizard Contract?"

"As you wish."

Soon, at a signal from Rilis, Luo Dan left the hall to prepare the relevant Wizard Contract.

"No need to trouble yourself, City Lord. I have a Wizard Contract right here. We just need to modify a few things."

The other Illusion Body of Wang Ya took a yellow Sheepskin Scroll from his robes and a feather pen from his sleeve, looking extremely practiced.

Rilis bit her lip. 'That damned bastard. He deliberately waited until after Luo Dan left to say that.'

She endured it, the anger in her heart rising yet again, coupled with the humiliation of being defied by a subordinate. She wished she could tear Wang Ya to pieces.

Her eyes were fixed on Wang Ya as he wrote the Wizard Contract, especially on his Red Lotus Mask, as if trying to see his real face.

"Murphy, go get that Wizard Contract and bring it to me."

Hearing the command, Murphy quickly trotted over and took the Wizard Contract from the hands of Wang Ya's Illusion Body.

Rilis's expression was stormy. The contents of the contract were at the very limit of what she would accept. It guaranteed the safety of the two men, and stipulated that before they left Celestial Wings Wizard City, the City Lord Mansion Wizards and Law Enforcement Wizards must remain within their respective Wizard Organizations.

She herself would also have to abide by the contract, as well as give the two of them Magic Stones and Extraordinary Resources as compensation for the mental and financial losses they suffered in the fight.

The total came to fifty thousand Magic Stones and a large quantity of Extraordinary Materials to aid in cultivating the Elemental Wizard Path.

Part of it was also what Zack Antuun had demanded: rare materials for making powerful Puppets. He even asked for quite a lot of materials for making High Level Puppets.

Converted to Magic Stones, the total value was around one hundred and fifty thousand Magic Stones.

This was a huge number. Even for the wealthy Wang Ya and the Wizard Clan-born Zack Antuun, it was enough to make their breathing quicken.

"City Lord, if your injuries aren't treated promptly, I'm afraid they could cause extremely severe damage to your body," Wang Ya reminded her in a timely manner.

Rilis's body seemed to suffer another heavy blow. She even trembled and nearly lost her footing.

This was blatant extortion.

The Magic Stones and Extraordinary Resources acquired by a Wizard City over five years could naturally cover this amount, but it would deplete at least half of their reserves.

This was supposed to be an additional benefit from completing her infiltration plan.

It was what Rilis had been preparing for her own Wizard Path, for her own future.

'They're completely taking advantage of the situation! These two bastards!!'

Zack Antuun, having recovered a little, walked over with a smirk. "You don't have to sign. But then, we can't guarantee your life."

"This friend of mine has never been one to blink when he kills."

So many benefits... even at the Dark Land Headquarters, with help from his clan, it wouldn't be a simple matter for Zack Antuun to gather all of this.

The clan wasn't just for their Direct Lineage; other clan members also needed Magic Stones and resources to keep things running.

Much of the time, even Kaze Antuun couldn't act on his own accord and was swept along by circumstances.

Zack Antuun's opinion of Wang Ya was even starting to change. 'Maybe coming out with this guy isn't so bad after all. Good things might actually happen.'

'It's just the hardship before the sweet reward.'

'And the reward in this Wizard Contract is the sweet part.'

Rilis took a deep breath. She had nearly bled out. She couldn't drag this out any longer.

She was, after all, one of the best among the Level 3 Wizard Apprentices. She began to calm down and weigh the pros and cons.

At the same time, she also spotted some weaknesses in Wang Ya's setup.

A cold light flickered in her eyes. An idea came to her, and she said, "Fine, I'll sign. But we need to add a few more clauses."

"What clauses?"

"That the events of today must never be spoken of. You also cannot report this to the Dark Land Headquarters."

The two men immediately frowned.

Before Zack Antuun could speak, Wang Ya said, "That's not impossible. However, you'd best get us what we want within ten minutes. After all, the City Lord can't wait much longer."

Rilis remained expressionless and didn't reply, simply saying to Murphy, "Go handle this. And take the Law Enforcement Wizards with you. Get it done quickly."

"Yes, Lady Rilis."

The hall was a complete mess, filled with the residual fluctuations of Particle Energy and the spreading radiation of Witchcraft.

The three people present were all powerful Wizards who could ignore this radiation pollution with their robust Physiques.

The atmosphere was extremely oppressive. Not a sound was made, save for the blood dripping from the tip of Wang Ya's finger, staining the ground around Rilis's feet red.

Rilis hadn't actually agreed to sign the Wizard Contract. Instead, she was making other preparations.

Wang Ya didn't trust Rilis either. In fact, his goal wasn't these items at all.

Zack Antuun was filled with anticipation. As he looked at Wang Ya Harak, he found him much more agreeable.

The three people in the hall each had their own ulterior motives and calculations.

...

Luo Dan and Murphy met at a crossroads. Both were holding a storage-type Witchcraft Artifact, which indeed contained the items the other party had demanded.

But they contained more than just those items.

Luo Dan's face was filled with hatred. "That Arthur... how dare he do something like this to Lady Rilis. When I get my hands on him, I'll make him wish he were dead."

Murphy added hatefully, "A couple of Level 2 Wizard Apprentices trying to make a deal and sign a Wizard Contract with Lady Rilis. They should take a good look at themselves and see what they're worth."

He was terrified because he had been the cause of Rilis's grievous injury, and he didn't want to be punished by her afterward.

The Black Core was no place for a Black Soul to stay, especially after having once again enjoyed the pleasures of the mortal world.

Ten minutes passed quickly.

The two men took the items, strode into the hall, and handed two Obsidian-inlaid Wizard's Rings to Wang Ya.

At that moment, Rilis used her free left hand and began to sign the Wizard Contract.

The gazes of all three converged on the contract.