The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth

Eugene Bailin instantly snapped his mouth shut. He had seen Wang Ya walk out the door, and turmoil churned within him. ’Why is it such a coincidence? Running into the very enemy we’re preparing to deal with, right here...’

He realized the gravity of the situation; he had just let something major slip. He shot a glance at his brother from the corner of his eye.

Baton Bailin’s body trembled slightly. His own emotions were clearly in turmoil, but he fought to keep his expression neutral.

Initially, Wang Ya hadn’t paid them much mind. He didn’t know these two, so whatever strange plots they were involved in were none of his business.

However, he was surprised to find that their gazes and expressions seemed a little off.

Despite their attempts at concealment, his sharp senses picked up on something abnormal, and it was clear that seeing him had caused it.

As Wang Ya walked past them, he could even see their pores contracting. ’They’re tense!’ This was very strange.

He began to think it over. ’All my activities in the Dark Wizard Lower House have been solo missions. It’s impossible for me to have attracted any trouble or made any enemies.’

’Much less someone willing to pay a steep price for a Middle-tier Witchcraft Artifact to come after me.’

But their subtle reactions were undeniable.

As he mulled it over, one possibility did come to mind.

’Could it be related to the conflict during the new student assembly at the academy plaza?!’

’That sudden provocation from the new students from the clans was obviously abnormal. It was far too deliberate, aimed squarely at me.’

’Is there a connection between these two events, or is this a move by the Wizard Influence?’

Wang Ya’s brow furrowed slightly. ’With Wizard Yi Si and his Wizard Influence at the forefront, it’s unlikely they’d turn their attention to a minor new student like me.’

’Or am I just getting caught in the crossfire? Someone they plan to ”take care of” along the way?’

’That’s a definite possibility.’

He had already considered many potential scenarios and had devised countermeasures for them.

Whether or not these two were targeting him, he had to prepare. Factoring a Middle-tier Witchcraft Artifact into his defensive strategy was now a necessity.

As long as it wasn’t a case of being completely outmatched, victory between Wizards was decided by combat skill, preparation, experience, and battle rhythm more than anything else.

The outcome often came down to strategy, as most Wizards only had a few spells at their disposal.

’I’ll face whatever comes my way.’

Even if these two Level 1 Wizard Apprentices really were a threat, he still had some confidence in his ability to resist them.

’After Harak’s bloodline transformation, with the addition of the Shadow Crow’s various Talent Abilities and the highly lethal Green Poison, even a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice would likely be defeated if they were unaware of Harak’s true capabilities and lacked the appropriate defenses.’

Maintaining an aura of mystery was a time-honored principle among Wizards. Not only did it deter others and offer a degree of protection, but it also created opportunities for surprise attacks that could turn the tide of battle.

In terms of unknowns, Wang Ya held the advantage; he already knew some things about them.

If he could also learn which Witchcraft spells they knew and prepare accordingly, even a more powerful Wizard could easily be defeated.

........

”Welcome, customers. Is there anything you need?”

Mona heard the chime of the bell and hurried forward to greet them.

”We’re looking for Wizard Hades. Tell him the Bailin Brothers have something urgent to discuss with him.”

Baton Bailin decided to stick to the original plan.

Eugene’s slip-up hadn’t mentioned anyone by name, so their target could have been anyone. They had done their best to keep their expressions normal; an accident was unlikely.

Besides, they were completely tapped out. They couldn’t squeeze out any more Dark Points to hand over to that profiteer, Mengta.

As long as they took care of Wang Ya Harak, it would all be worth it. Maybe then their uncles and elders would regain confidence in the two of them and reinvest resources in them.

After all, they were all the Bailin Clan had left.

As for taking out a loan for the Middle-tier Witchcraft Artifact, that was just a precaution. The incident at Ancient Forest Mountain had left him wary.

Mona shook her head. ”The shop owner, Hades, said that if anyone from the Bailin Clan comes here on business, we are not to receive them under any circumstances.”

Eugene immediately became agitated. ”You must be a new student from the Wizard Academy, right? And to be a Wizard Waiter in this shop, you must be one of Hades’s clansmen. Have you seriously not heard about the relationship between us Bailin Brothers and Hades? We’re as close as brothers!”

Mona froze, recalling the words of that burly figure. ’Of our batch of Wizard Students, only the Bailin Brothers are still just Level 1 Wizard Apprentices... Don’t pay any attention if they try to claim a connection. Even their own elders and uncles have completely given up on them...’

......

「Inside the Ancient Castle, the Wizard’s Residence.」

Wang Ya walked straight to his laboratory. At his call, Harak flew in behind him.

Bloodline implantation was, in a way, both simple and difficult. The key was solving the problem of the body rejecting the Extraordinary Bloodline. Once that was handled, the rest was easy.

Generally speaking, the more powerful the Extraordinary Bloodline, the stronger the rejection reaction. It could even cause the creature, or Wizard, undergoing the Wizard Surgery to die on the spot.

The body of a Wizard, being human, was more resilient to Wizard Surgery than that of a beast, with the rejection being about ten to twenty percent less severe.

As the various instruments in the lab powered up, Wang Ya, the one performing the surgery, donned a white Wizard Robe and Goggles. He carefully tied back the sleeves and hem, then began to process the Extraordinary Materials he had bought.

As time went on, he continuously processed and refined the materials, extracting and eliminating all impurities from the Extraordinary Raw Materials. He was left with only the purest Extraordinary Material, the components that would actually have an effect.

Next, he poured the several portions of Subordinate Extraordinary Essence into a specialized incubation chamber, which would serve as a nutrient pool for after the surgery.

Under the influence of the Consciousness Brand, Harak showed little resistance to lying on the operating table for the Wizard Surgery. It was a demonstration of the absolute trust that had been built between them.

”Alright, little one. After today, we’ll see whether you can successfully transform.”

A silver Wizard Dissection Knife appeared in Wang Ya’s hand, while his other held a specialized tool.

His pupils shimmered with tiny flecks of blue light.

[Prompt: Shadow Crow Bloodline implantation surgery is now beginning!]

[Estimated Time: 4 hours]

[Success Rate: 70%]

.....