The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

’This guy must be crazy, showing up at my door to block my way. He must have found out that Mosi invited him to join and that I was the one who opposed it.’

”Wang Ya Harak, everyone must pay the price for their choices. From the moment you chose not to attend the freshman banquet, you were fated to lose this opportunity. That is irreversible.”

Anna came to her senses. ’What am I even afraid of? He’s just a freshman with low Wizard Qualification. When it comes to Physique enhancement from Particle Energy radiation, how could he possibly compare to me?’

Her Power could easily crush him.

”One should know their own limits. I’m in a good mood today, so I’m not inclined to stoop to your level. Get out of the way.”

When she saw that he still hadn’t answered and was just walking toward her, hands hanging naturally at his sides, his eyes utterly indifferent, anger flared in her eyes.

’Has this idiot completely lost his mind?’

The Particle Energy in her body activated. Her powerful Physique, the result of benign radiation, allowed Anna to punch through a wall with a single fist.

With a cold expression, she put all her strength into her muscles and aimed a direct kick at Wang Ya’s chest. A kick like that was powerful enough to cave in a grown man’s chest.

’Idiot. He isn’t even trying to dodge.’

A flash of contempt crossed Anna’s face, but she didn’t lessen the force of her kick one bit.

’As long as I don’t kill him, it’ll be fine!’

’This kick will teach him a harsh lesson.’

SIZZLE!

A blinding crimson light reflected in Anna’s pupils, illuminating her pale face and revealing an expression of utter horror, as if she were seeing a ghost. Her complexion was now deathly white.

Powerful Fire Element Particle Energy, vibrating at a unique frequency, coalesced around Wang Ya to form an enclosed Shield. Ripples of energy undulated outward as the unique radiation signature of Witchcraft diffused through the air.

The scorching temperature was so high that the grass and trees on either side of Wang Ya turned yellow and withered, their moisture sucked dry.

[Witchcraft - Fire Elemental Particle Energy Shield]

Meanwhile, Anna’s kick was landing squarely in the center of the Energy Shield—her flesh-and-blood right foot.

”Impossible!”

She let out a scream of disbelief.

Wang Ya Harak had actually cast Witchcraft, a true Elemental Energy Witchcraft.

’But this good-for-nothing couldn’t even master Extraordinary Cultivation Witchcraft!’

’Is this some kind of joke? Don’t tell me he’s been hiding his strength all along.’

Anna fell into an unprecedented panic. ”No, spare me, Wang Ya! I didn’t mean it, spare me!”

’I know how terrifying Witchcraft is. How can mere flesh and blood resist it?’

’I’m going to die!!’

”Have mercy! For the sake of us being freshmen from the same Wizard Ship...”

Not a flicker of emotion crossed Wang Ya’s eyes.

”I curse you! Damn you, may you die a horrible death! It hurts! Mosi, save me!” The searing heat engulfed her. She tried to flee... but it was too late. The instant her right foot made contact, her clothes disintegrated into ash. Her delicate foot was incinerated by the extreme temperature, as if all its moisture had been vaporized. The flesh turned a sickening yellow and shriveled up, before becoming black char like rotted wood.

”No, I won’t accept this... I haven’t become a Wizard yet, I haven’t achieved my goal...”

Her mouth hung agape. The pain was so intense that she could no longer scream, only let out silent, hoarse gasps. Her body thrashed, her hands flailing wildly.

But nothing she did could stop the flames from spreading up from her right foot to engulf her entire body. The beautiful young woman’s delicate frame was reduced to a scorched, viscous fluid and desiccated matter within the blaze. Her long, fiery red hair was consumed by the fire. It was utterly foolish to fight Witchcraft, even Low-tier Witchcraft, with a body of mere flesh and blood.

With an indifferent gaze, Wang Ya stepped over the charred corpse. He pulled a Sheepskin Scroll from his pocket and crossed off one of the names with a small pen.

He glanced back at the charred remains on the ground. Its humanoid form, hands reaching up, mouth agape, seemed to be grasping for a final hope of life.

’Just as she made her choice, she had to bear the consequences. If you can’t bear the price of your choice, then you must accept the outcome.’

He frowned slightly. ’I thought that since she was mixed up with those people from the Wizard Clans, she would at least have a few tricks up her sleeve. But she didn’t even leave behind a single Magic Stone.’

’That can’t be right. I heard she helped them out with quite a few things. No matter the case, there should have been something of value left behind.’

To be safe, Wang Ya had even deliberately used Witchcraft.

The result greatly disappointed him.

Shaking his head, he headed towards the location of the next target on his list.

...

「Inside the Freshman Residence.」

”Assassin Number Two is dead.” Kadi Purple Gold Flower looked at Mosi, a dark light shimmering in the depths of their eyes. Those first words made Mosi’s expression change drastically.

His face was a mask of shock. ”Assassin Number Two is dead? How could he have died?! Who killed him? He was considered a powerful existence, even among Level 1 Wizard Apprentices!”

’The consequences of this are extremely serious.’

Mosi felt a chill crawl down his spine. ’There’s absolutely no one among the Wizard Freshmen capable of this. Could one of the Master Wizards have made a move?’

’Impossible. Wizard Yi Si and the others went to the exchange point to receive the Extraordinary Resources allocated from the Dark Land. Dragon Rabbit Wizard was with them, so there’s no room for error. And Gandhi Wizard went to the Bailin Clan just yesterday to go over the plans. Everything should have been foolproof.’

’But why did things turn out this way?!’

’How in the world did Assassin Number Two die?’

Kadi Purple Gold Flower said, ”It’s not that there was a problem with the plan, but that an unforeseen variable appeared.”

”A variable!” Mosi’s eyes flickered.

”That island native Gandhi Wizard warned us about—the Wizard Freshman named Wang Ya Harak—may have been hiding his Power.”

”He killed Assassin Number Two?” Mosi was stunned. ”That foolish woman couldn’t have been lying to me... which means this guy’s been hiding his true strength very, very deep.”

Kadi spoke, a profound look in their eyes, ”It’s more than that. I suspect he’s had some kind of fortuitous encounter. Otherwise, there’s no reason why a Wizard Freshman from the Island Continent with such poor Wizard Qualification could do something none of the others can.”

”Interesting. So he was hiding his Power, and now he’s finally revealed it.” Mosi stroked his chin, a playful look on his face. ”The unknown is what’s truly terrifying. But once something is known, there’s always a way to deal with it.”

”He was able to kill Assassin Number Two, yet he’s still stuck in Ancient Forest Mountain. That means he hasn’t fully mastered a form of Witchcraft and must have used some other method.”

Mosi grinned in understanding. ”No wonder you think this island native had some fortuitous encounter and needed to lay low.”

”Send Assassin Number One. But just to be safe...” Mosi revealed a white bracelet on his wrist, injected Particle Energy into it, and took out some items from the Storage Witchcraft Artifact.

”These two Witchcraft Scrolls, plus the Witchcraft Artifact ’Face of Residual Dreams’ that can temporarily alter one’s appearance and conceal one’s aura. Imagine the look on Wang Ya Harak’s face when Wizard Yi Si shows up at his door.”

”That’s a good idea!” Kadi laughed and reached out to take the strange, wood-like mask. It was covered in colorful markings like a child’s scribbles.

As their other hand reached for the Witchcraft Scrolls, Mosi suddenly snatched back the Sheepskin Scrolls, an intense chill and a wave of panic seizing his heart.

Mosi said in horror, ”You’re not Kadi Purple Gold Flower!”