The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

Amidst the figures in Wizard Robes hurrying through the academy, Wang Ya was far from conspicuous. Everyone rushed past, busy with their own affairs.

You wouldn’t find anyone strolling and chatting in pairs. A Wizard’s time was incredibly precious—spent on mastering Extraordinary Courses, putting them into practice, and pursuing one’s own comprehension, contemplation, and innovation of Extraordinary Knowledge.

Wizards who stumbled upon a new idea or were struck by inspiration would often enter a deep, experimental seclusion. It was common for this to last half a year, or even a full year.

However, one had to apply for such a seclusion in advance. Only then would their mandatory tasks be postponed.

Speaking of mandatory tasks, everyone had them—from powerful Wizards like Wizard Yi Si to Wizard Freshmen who had just joined the academy.

In fact, the mandatory tasks for Wizard Freshmen were assigned with even greater frequency.

Someone on Wizard Yi Si’s level might receive a mandatory task once every two or five years. For Wizard Freshmen like them, a new task was issued every three months.

Wang Ya figured this was another of the Dark Land’s screening methods, but also a way for it to subsidize the Wizard Freshmen.

The rewards for these mandatory tasks were generous; they were the main way to acquire Dark Points. The difficulty, of course, was tailored to the Power of a Wizard at that level.

Of course, for those who couldn’t seize the opportunity or withstand the pressure, it would become the last straw that broke them.

Surging Particle Energy was confined to the narrow transmission lines beneath his feet, feeding the magnificent building before him and powering its internal functions.

It was the final and most unique building in the complex of academic halls. Most of the Teaching Wizards, and even the administrative Wizards of the Dark Wizard Academy, had their offices inside.

Faint ripples of Dark Light shimmered across the building’s surface. As Wang Ya drew near, the Wizard Mark in his palm tingled and a message automatically appeared.

[Darkness: Lower House Wizard Student, Wang Ya Harak. Please state your purpose. Access will be determined based on your clearance level.]

Wang Ya paused for a moment, then sent a reply with his thoughts.

[Darkness: Access granted. During the teleportation process, please select your destination...]

This was a real eye-opener for Wang Ya. He hadn’t realized Wizard Technology had reached such a level. The dark ripples were an alternative manifestation of a Teleportation Witch Array that exchanged information with the Dark Technology hub via his Wizard Mark, allowing for precise teleportation to a designated location.

He reached out, his palm touching the ripples of Dark Light. The next instant, he was enveloped by it and became part of the glow.

The walls had a mechanical quality, and he could faintly see the hairline cracks of tiny energy transmission lines within. Bright light radiated from classical chandeliers overhead. This bizarre combination, however, possessed a unique kind of beauty.

As he walked down the corridor, the surroundings became increasingly archaic. The walls changed to brown wood, and a long, red carpet stretched out before him.

Wang Ya glanced at the letterbox beside a wooden door and knocked. A plaque on the door read, ”Discipline Management.”

”Come in!” A woman’s lazy voice drifted from inside.

Wang Ya hesitated. Before him, a figure sat at a desk. She wore an aqua-colored Wizard Robe and had a plump figure. Her long blue hair was greasy and knotted, as if it hadn’t been washed in a long time. Her face was small and her skin fair, but when she opened her mouth to yawn, he saw yellowish stains on her teeth.

”Spit it out. Which disciplines are you picking? Got the Magic Stones ready?” the Female Wizard, Jialan, asked, picking her nose with a long, fair finger as she looked lazily at Wang Ya.

Wang Ya’s eyelid twitched. He spoke respectfully, ”Master Wizard Jialan, I choose Energy Science, Elemental Particle Science, Biological Cultivation Science, and Extraordinary Anatomy. I would also like to select Magic Potion Science.”

Wizard Jialan wiped the booger from her finger onto the edge of her desk and slumped bonelessly in her chair. She gave Wang Ya a sideways glance before speaking. ”Not a bad selection. You’re taking the Wizard Path of an Elemental Wizard, and you’ve also considered how to acquire resources—and the Ability to create a Source Land for them.”

”But Magic Potion Science... why bother learning that? It’s a damn waste. It eats up Magic Stones and your time, plus it’s easy to learn but difficult to master. And whether you get good at it or not, you’ll have to spend time brewing Extraordinary Potions. You’ll even have people knocking on your door asking you to brew Wizard Potions for them, which is just another huge time sink...”

Wang Ya understood what Wizard Jialan meant, especially her last point. Having people ask you to brew potions was a hassle for a Wizard, regardless of whether you accepted or refused.

He gave her another look. She was a rare, warm-hearted Wizard. Her Power was also immense—at least on par with Wizard Yi Si.

But his decision to choose Magic Potion Science was one he had carefully considered.

He had already laid a solid foundation for Magic Potion Science, including his knowledge of Extraordinary Dissection, Extraordinary Extraction, and other basics.

As for identifying various Extraordinary Materials and discerning their Extraordinary Traits, his Eye of Truth could directly record and analyze them. This gave him a natural advantage over other Wizards.

And for the Eye of Truth, mastering things like Magic Potion formulas would be no problem at all.

At least, in the game from his past life, when he picked up dropped recipes for things like draughts or special secret potions, he would master them instantly and could brew them simply by consuming the required materials.

Although the Ability of the Eye of Truth in the Wizard World was much weaker, it should still give him an advantage here.

Then there was the practical side of brewing potions, which required extremely fine control to induce the Sublimation and qualitative changes in Extraordinary Properties—another skill Wang Ya already possessed.

Of course, his experiences in Hanhai Wizard City, where he’d had to purchase the Clear Heart Potion and the Transcendence Potion, also played a part in his decision.

”Thank you for your advice, Master Wizard Jialan.” Wang Ya bowed slightly, his etiquette flawless.

Jialan Wizard rubbed her eyes again, flicked away the sleep gunk, and said through a massive yawn, ”Fine, have it your way. Five disciplines. The foundational course for each is fifty Magic Stones, so that’s two hundred and fifty in total.”

Wang Ya gently closed the wooden door, his expression thoughtful. He had chosen his five Extraordinary Disciplines. Now, all he had to do was go to the right classroom at the designated time each week and use his Wizard Mark to pass the verification for entry.

A Wizard who hadn’t purchased the course would not have the corresponding clearance in their Wizard Mark.

’It certainly makes administration convenient,’ he thought.

There was a lecture for Energy Science tomorrow.

Wang Ya planned to take the Transcendence Potion today to see if he could raise his Spiritual Power to 9 points or more.

After that, by using the Eye of Truth to analyze the remaining Runes of the Vast Sea Meditation Method, it shouldn’t take long for him to break through to a Level 1 Wizard Apprentice.

A smile curled his lips. He wondered if he would be the first among the freshmen to make a breakthrough.

Back in the office, Wizard Jialan had, at some point, moved to stand before the window. The sunlight illuminated her greasy, reflective hair as she lazily enjoyed its warmth.

Her curious voice echoed in the room. ”This batch of Wizard Freshmen really isn’t bad. Quite a few impressive kids showed up. This one, Wang Ya Harak, could probably even rank in the middle tier among those so-called genius freshmen from the clans.”

”The Secret Realm competition in two years is going to be quite a show. Let’s see who can take the top three.”

Wizard Jialan sighed wistfully. ”Even I get my heart racing when I look at those rewards. A chance to join any Extraordinary School you want. Entry into the Land of Inheritance to pick any legacy you please. And massive resource support.”

Jialan Wizard ground her teeth. ”Damn it all! Those old fossils in the Dark Land... do graduates get no respect around here? Not even a few measly perks!”