The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

RUSTLE!

A cold wind battered the trees of the Ancient Forest, making the leaves rustle. The fluorescent glow of the Witch Array path illuminated the dark silhouettes of the surroundings. A few leaves and branches were clear, but most appeared as bizarrely shaped limbs. The inability to see clearly, this vague sense of the unknown, would subconsciously make one feel terrified and flustered.

He, however, felt no such emotion. Instead, he moved away from the Witch Array’s fluorescent light and melted into the darkness of the Ancient Forest. Alien scales covered his eyelids and cheeks, giving him a somewhat menacing appearance. A membrane over his pupils allowed him to see everything clearly in the dark.

The darkness was his protection.

Beneath his gray robes was a strong, powerful physique. The sound of his long, drawn-out breaths seemed to merge with the whistling of the cold wind. With each rise and fall of his chest, his eyes remained fixed on the entrance to the Witch Array path.

During this time, a few Wizard Freshmen would pass along this road, always alone, on their way back to their Wizard’s Residence.

Kill the ten easiest Wizard Freshmen to kill.

This was the command in his mind!

There was no need to think, no need to question. Named ”Number Two” since birth, he had carried out many commands before, and this time would be no exception.

Tucked within his sleeve was a pitch-black, short-blade-style weapon that glinted with a dark luster, appearing exceptionally unique. Number Two kept the Particle Energy in his body constantly ready for injection. With a single thought, this Low-tier Witchcraft Artifact could be fully activated to hunt down its target.

WHOOSH!

The wind drifted, kicking up fallen leaves... A tremor passed through Number Two’s pupils, which held not a trace of emotion or humanity. The muscles in the hand gripping the ’Shadow Slayer Blade’ tensed, tightening like the meshing of mechanical gears.

It was a figure in a black robe. He was young and handsome, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He walked along the Witch Array path with practiced ease, paying no mind to his surroundings.

Number Two judged the probability of a successful hunt to be one hundred percent.

And so he struck. The Bloodline Power within him made his heart pound rapidly. A massive surge of blood circulated as every muscle in his body exerted itself, creating a terrifying display of power. Unexpectedly, instead of the ground cracking and a blast of air erupting, there was only a low SIZZLE. His figure vanished, melting into the darkness—a Special Talent from his Extraordinary Bloodline, ’Shadow Concealment’.

The black-robed figure continued walking, still oblivious. He seemed to have something heavy on his mind, his handsome face creased with a deep frown.

BUZZ!

The injection of Particle Energy caused the black blade of the Shadow Slayer Blade to instantly extend to about a meter in length. The Dark Element Particle Energy on the blade’s surface vibrated minutely, amplifying its destructive capability.

SQUELCH!

The long blade severed the head. The spine and marrow were as soft as tofu. The spray of blood, the falling black-robed corpse—it was all a shocking sight.

Number Two’s pupils were numb and vacant. For him, killing a person produced no physiological reaction. It was as ordinary as kicking a can on the side of the road out of boredom.

The Shadow Slayer Blade could slice through a Particle Energy Shield and also negate the particle radiation effects of a Foggy Witch Array, reducing the fog’s effectiveness by half. But his orders were to choose the easiest method and minimize exposure. Breaking into a freshman’s residence was too risky.

Number Two retracted the Shadow Slayer Blade into his sleeve. He still had nine more targets to kill.

The mission was simple. They were just freshmen with no combat experience, and he was assassinating them from the shadows.

Number Two’s figure gradually disappeared into the Ancient Forest.

The blood flowed to Wang Ya’s feet. Its pungent smell made his expression flicker uncertainly. Not far away lay the black-robed corpse, its head at his feet. The victim’s expression was wooden. There was no pain or any other reaction, as if he had been killed so instantly he hadn’t even felt it.

A fine, blue light shimmered in Wang Ya’s pupils.

The killer had attacked from behind with an extremely practiced technique. The wound radiated Particle Energy and had fine, serrated edges. He narrowed his eyes. The weapon that caused such a wound was definitely no ordinary blade.

Based on the coagulation of the blood, Wang Ya determined the time of death was about half an hour ago.

Could this be related to the recent, widely-discussed disappearances?

A murder actually happened here, in Ancient Forest Mountain!

Wang Ya sensed a powerful undercurrent at play. Who could be behind this? To be so bold as to directly ignore the rules and prohibitions set by Wizard Yi Si... The thought alone was terrifying.

Wang Ya’s brow furrowed as his eyes scanned the surroundings. The dark, silhouetted environment of the Ancient Forest felt as though it harbored a terrifying shadow killer, putting him even more on guard.

’The timing of the attack, the instant kill, and the choice of this specific location... This is the work of a professional killer.’

Wang Ya knew a thing or two about the dark businesses that existed in the Wizard black market. Compared to the Mortal World, it really wasn’t much better.

He often walked this path himself. But it was impossible that he was the target. For a Wizard Slayer to strike in Ancient Forest Mountain, the price would be astronomical.

The potential he had shown so far wasn’t worth that much money.

Wang Ya’s fists clenched subconsciously. ’So the killer was here for this Wizard Freshman? No, not necessarily. This freshman didn’t have top-tier aptitude. If I had passed by half an hour earlier, would I have been the target?’

This was clearly a random, motiveless killing!

Because there was no benefit in killing these freshmen. In the competition for the entrance tickets, no one would believe an ordinary freshman could surpass one with top-tier aptitude.

The motive didn’t hold up.

A cloud of suspicion.

An intense sense of crisis washed over Wang Ya, and his expression turned grim. He hated nothing more than unprovoked trouble; there was no guarantee he wouldn’t get caught up in it.

Who knew how many Wizard Slayers there were, or what their ultimate goal was?

He only needed to get through another fifteen peaceful days to enter the Dark Wizard Academy, yet something this dangerous had to happen.

It was impossible to hide in his residence forever. The need for food, not to mention the mental stress and anxiety, meant that studying Extraordinary Knowledge under these conditions would be extremely inefficient. He didn’t have that much time to waste. There was no telling what other incidents might occur, and he still needed to find a suitable Extraordinary environment to place Green Forest’s Soul Body.

Wang Ya’s expression was utterly morose. He just wanted to quietly study Extraordinary Knowledge and pursue the truth. He hadn’t provoked anyone. He had worked so hard, studied so diligently... and now his plans were being ruined by this damned, unknown outside force.

’Why are you forcing my hand!’

His right hand pressed against the glass bottle at his waist, his fingers brushing the hilt of a dagger. His gaze was terrifyingly cold, even holding a hint of malice, yet he maintained a fundamental sense of calm and rationality.

As his thoughts raced wildly, an answer began to form.

The next day, Wang Ya arrived at the Wizard Freshman administration office.

”Respected Master Wizard Yi Si, I wish to make a report.”