The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

Between the Free Zone and the Business District, Wang Ya chose the former. He put on the Face of Residual Dreams, activating the Witch Array Technique within. The face in the mirror underwent a bizarre transformation.

In the blink of an eye, the beauty mark by his eye vanished, and his hair turned from black to gold. He now looked exactly like Arthur from the ship.

The Business District had more established Extraordinary Shops. No matter how rare the Aquis Secret Record was, it was still only an Apprentice Level item. If he sold it to those shops, the price would be suppressed to an extremely low level.

Wizards from the headquarters had diverse channels through which to obtain Extraordinary Knowledge.

Therefore, the Aquis Secret Record wasn’t actually that appealing to the Wizards of the headquarters.

The Free Zone connected to the outer Dark Wizard City, and many Wild Wizards and common Wizards were eager to come here to trade for Extraordinary Materials.

A secret record of a lineage that could allow one to reach the level of a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice would absolutely cause a considerable stir.

The biggest problem plaguing Wild Wizards was the knowledge blockade.

After all, whether one was a War Body Wizard or an Astrology Wizard, one had to increase their Power before they could even think about the future.

Wild Wizards rarely thought about such things.

Half an hour later, Wang Ya found himself before a large cluster of tent-like buildings. This was a Wizard Camp, considered part of the Free Zone but located just outside its main area.

It was said that following this road would lead out of the Dark Land Headquarters.

There were many such roads and Wizard Camps. The Free Zone was vast, with paths leading to various Wizard Cities.

Figures in Wizard Robes of all colors milled about Wang Ya. Some were Wizards from the headquarters, while others were outsiders.

Many of the shops and businesses established in the Free Zone were run by them.

Outside Wizards lacked a Wizard Mark and couldn’t enter the main Free Zone, but paying a fee of Magic Stones could circumvent this.

Wang Ya turned and headed deeper into the street. He had already learned that the Free Zone had its own unique Wizard Exchange, which possessed auction-house-like venues where one could consign items to be sold.

Alternatively, after an appraisal by a professional Scholar, one could sell the item directly to the Wizard Exchange for an appropriate price.

As for the Wizard Exchange, it was rumored to have ties to the underground black market, an extension of certain illicit industrial chains... Wang Ya didn’t care about any of that. He chose the latter option.

He didn’t have time to wait for an auction’s results. ’Time is precious.’ A strong sense of urgency had taken root in him, born from seeing the other Wizard Freshmen at the assembly. Through his Eye of Truth, he had observed at least ten people who were no weaker than he was.

’The freshmen from Wizard Clans make up the majority, and that Mengta is a potential threat as well.’

’I have to increase my Power!’

”These Wizardry Books and Records are truly ancient. They must date back several thousand years, and yet they’re so well-preserved...” In the reception room, an old man wearing a monocle, his beard so long it nearly touched the floor, meticulously examined every detail of the Aquis Secret Record.

This type of Wizard was unique. They loved to immerse themselves in books and were knowledgeable about many obscure subjects and historical events.

They were known to the public as Scholars or Researchers of Antiquity.

At last, he reached a conclusion. ”The secret record is only a fragment. A complete version should allow one to reach the level of an Official Wizard. What a pity.”

The Scholar sighed. ”It’s even more of a shame that this is from the obsolete War Body Wizard System. Still, it has decent value as a collectible.”

Wang Ya: ”...”

There was another figure in the reception room: a short male, surprisingly a Dwarf of the Yalande race. He had an oval head with rather flat features and was called BYD.

He was one of the managers of this Wizard Exchange.

After conferring with the Scholar, he offered Wang Ya a price.

”Three hundred Magic Stones. You can make a copy for yourself, and we’ll take the original Witch Book. We will sign a Wizard Contract guaranteeing that we will only sell this single copy and will not circulate its contents.”

”Alternatively, for one thousand Magic Stones, we buy the original Witch Book outright, and you cannot divulge the Extraordinary Knowledge within.”

Wang Ya considered his options.

BYD continued, ”You can rest assured. We at the Heize Exchange are just in it for our cut; we don’t deceive or mislead our customers.”

”Mr. Lao Sulei’s assessment is never wrong. The War Body Wizards are relics of the past, obsolete for a very long time. Bloodline Wizards and White Wizards have completely replaced them, and now we even have the sudden emergence of the Mechanical Wizards.”

Speaking of which, BYD seemed rather wistful. ”This world changes so fast. The potential of Mechanical Wizards is terrifying. If you don’t ride the wave of progress, you’ll be left behind before you know it.”

”Of course, all Wizardry Books and Records containing Extraordinary Knowledge have their value. The choice is yours.”

Wang Ya walked out of the Heize Exchange holding a black, redeemable Magic Card.

It held a balance of one thousand Magic Stones that could be redeemed at any time from a Wizard Bank in the Business District or the Free Zone. This was enough to cover Wang Ya’s needs for his upcoming Wizard training.

Come to think of it, the Wizard Bank itself had only gradually come into being after the Mechanical Wizards initiated the Wizard Technology revolution.

Of course, the Magic Card could also be used to make direct payments at any participating Extraordinary Shop or institution.

...

The Business District’s layout was less dense than the Free Zone’s.

But in the area where Wizard’s Residences were sold, a single residence could cover a shocking five thousand square meters. Moreover, each was shrouded by a Witch Array that concealed it from outside eyes and forbade trespassing.

Coupled with the rules and regulations enforced by the Dark Land itself within the Business District and Free Zone, security was not a concern.

”A Wizard’s Residence comes equipped with a personal laboratory, a cultivation room, a Magic Plant Garden, a lounge, and a Witchcraft testing chamber... Of course, you can also choose the surrounding environment: mountains, swamp, wetlands, desert, plains, forest...”

It was like a real estate agency from his past life, only here in the Wizard World, it was a ”Wizard’s Residence Sales Center.” A young Female Wizard named Dove pulled up images of various residences on a Wizard Technology display.

She zoomed in and out, showcasing the advantages and benefits of each Wizard’s Residence from every angle.

”If you have a special request, like a snow-capped mountain or the peak of a sheer cliff, that can also be arranged, but the price will be significantly higher,” Dove said. She had freckles, thin lips, and short hair. Her eyes were fixed on Wang Ya, awaiting his decision.

Wang Ya thought for a moment. ’Harak’s Cultivation... and I have to consider the future propagation of its species, plus the Extraordinary Discipline I’ve decided to pursue...’ He gave his answer.

”The forest.”

Five hundred was deducted from his Magic Card, making Wang Ya’s heart skip a beat. Half of his Magic Stones were gone just like that.

But now, Wang Ya had his own Wizard’s Residence. The lease was for one year.

Next came choosing an Extraordinary Discipline to study.

Things were finally getting on track.