The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

Deep within the Darkmoon Academy, in a secret chamber shrouded by multiple isolation arrays, the atmosphere was as heavy as iron. Master Walter (a first-circle wizard, an expert in elements and defense) stood in the center, flanked by two middle-aged wizards with a composed aura and piercing eyes like hawks—"Iron Wall" Kalan (a first-circle wizard, an expert in defense and enchantment) and "Silent Whisperer" Seraphina (a first-circle wizard, an expert in telepathy and anti-prophecy). These three first-circle wizards were the most reliable and skilled in both offensive and infiltration forces that Walter could quickly assemble.

Rowe, Barton, and Lilith stood opposite the three masters. Rowe's face was still pale, and his body was visibly weak, but he forced himself to stand upright, his eyes flashing with a strange focus brought about by his enhanced spatial perception. Barton gripped his runic greatsword tightly, the aura of his protective flames restrained, like a volcano poised to erupt. Lilith, meanwhile, was inspecting the last batch of potions and detection equipment, her expression solemn.

"The situation is urgent, so let's cut to the chase." Master Walter's voice was deep. "Based on the intelligence and beacon feedback brought back by Rowe, the Gray Tower's ritual in the Tower of Slumber has entered its final stage. Our mission is to infiltrate the outer perimeter of the tower and disrupt or interfere with the core of the ritual if possible. If that fails, then destroying the ritual's auxiliary facilities and collecting evidence will be our primary objective. We must not allow the Abyss's will to successfully descend!"

His gaze swept over the group: "Kalan will be in charge of breaking through the outer barrier and protecting the team. Serafina will be responsible for shielding against the enemy's mental detection and anti-prophecy. I'll lead the attack. You three little ones," he looked at Rowe and the other two, "your task is to guide and support. Rowe, your newly acquired spatial perception is key; you'll be responsible for warning of spatial traps and finding the safest infiltration path. Lilith, environmental monitoring and potion support. Barton, close protection, handling any unexpected combat situations."

"Understood!" the three replied in unison.

"Set off!"

Without a grand send-off, the group of six used a hidden short-distance teleportation array within the academy to arrive directly at the edge of the Shattered Star Mountains. Stepping into this land shrouded in dreams and shadows once more, the oppressive and dangerous atmosphere was even stronger than before.

After Master Serafina waved her hand and cast an invisible "collective mental barrier," the group moved swiftly toward the Tower of Slumber, like cheetahs gliding into the shadows.

Darkmoon Academy World Encyclopedia: Mass Mind Ward

A high-level mental protection spell that can distort light, absorb sound, and interfere with mental detection within a certain range, making the target group difficult to detect by conventional visual, auditory, and mental scans. It requires an extremely high level of mental control from the caster and cannot completely evade detection based on divination or special energy sensing.

The closer they got to the Tower of Slumber, the more severe the environmental distortions became. The dreamlike remnants swirling in the mist almost materialized, and the distorted phantoms constantly tried to assault the team's minds, only to be calmed down one by one by Master Serafina's steady mental power. The dream moss on the ground became thick and sticky, producing an unpleasant hissing sound when stepped on and emitting an even stronger hypnotic gas, which was only resisted by the "Mind-Cleansing Mist" that Lilith had distributed in advance.

Luo Wei walked at the head of the group, his "eyes" no longer those of ordinary people. In his perception, the world was a complex grid composed of countless flowing energy lines and spatial folds. He could "see" a seemingly calm area not far ahead, which was actually riddled with tiny yet deadly spatial rifts (Dark Moon Rifts), like an invisible thicket of knives. He could also "see" further away, the immense shadow energy fluctuations emanating from the Tower of Slumber itself, like a black sun, and within it, the terrifying core that was constantly pulsating and expanding—the heart of the Abyss Ritual!

"Turn left, go around that area. The spatial structure is extremely unstable, with a large number of active fissures." Luo Wei's voice was slightly weak, but his instructions were clear and accurate.

Master Kalan immediately waved his hand, and a soft, earthy-yellow halo enveloped the team, enhancing their overall physical defense, and they carefully followed the path indicated by Rowe.

With Loewe acting as a "human space radar," the team avoided most natural spatial traps and traveled at a speed far exceeding expectations.

However, the Grey Tower's defenses weren't limited to natural fortifications. When they were less than three miles from the tower, Lowe suddenly raised his hand to signal a halt.

"There's something set up ahead! It's not a natural fissure, but a space distortion trap created by human intervention! The energy signature has a strong gray tower shadow characteristic!" He lowered his voice, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Maintaining this high level of perception was extremely taxing for him.

As everyone focused their gaze, what appeared to be an ordinary rocky beach in front of them, in Luo Wei's perception, concealed several extremely insidious traps—they used shadow energy to slightly guide and amplify the existing minute spatial rifts, forming death zones that were difficult to detect with the naked eye and conventional detection, yet could trigger a chain reaction of spatial collapse the moment they were activated!

"Can it be cracked?" Master Walter asked in a deep voice.

Luo Wei closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then shook his head with difficulty: "The structure is very intricate. Forcibly destroying it would immediately alert the arranger. We can only... take a detour. But the detour route will pass through an area with particularly dense dream remnants, posing a high risk of mental pollution."

"Seraphina?" Walter looked at his companion.

"Leave it to me." Master Silent One nodded slightly, his hands forming a hand seal. A more condensed spiritual power surged forward like a tide, temporarily "pacifying" the dream energy in that area and opening up a relatively safe passage. "We need to be quick. My pacification won't last long, and it might be detected by the spiritual perceivers inside the tower."

The group moved quickly and quietly once again. Escorted by the three masters and guided by Rowe, they traversed the outer defenses of the Gray Tower without incident, finally arriving at the ruins of a half-collapsed auxiliary building on the outskirts of the Tower of Slumber.

From here, the tower's grotesque appearance is clearly visible. The abyssal aura emanating from the tower is almost tangible, nauseatingly so. The starlight beacon that Luo Wei had placed behind the distant boulder is now emitting a continuous and intense resonant vibration!

"The intensity of the ritual is still rising!" Lilith said, her voice strained as she looked at the violently beating compass.

"Kalan, set up an isolation barrier and prepare to launch a strong attack on the entrance! Serafina, disrupt the perception inside the tower! Walter, prepare..." The old wizard leading the team quickly issued the orders.

However, at that very moment, something unexpected happened!

High up in the tower, a previously closed window made of black metal suddenly opened! Master Elena (a second-circle wizard) appeared in the window. She wasn't looking down, but rather gazing up at the sky obscured by mist and distorted energy, her hands raised high as she chanted a loud and blasphemous incantation!

"By the blood of the abyss, and with the body in eternal slumber as your vessel, traverse the endless void, answering our call... Descend! A wisp of the will of the great 'Sleeping Lord'—Nyaros!"

As she chanted, the immense shadow energy at the bottom of the tower instantly boiled over! A thick pillar of light, composed entirely of pure darkness and madness, shot skyward and crashed violently into the heavens!

It's not about breaking through anything, but about tearing a stable passage between reality and dreams, a passage large enough to attract the attention of some terrifying being!

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the tower, the boy bound to the altar as a "vessel" convulsed and swelled violently, the dark red veins beneath his skin writhing wildly, and his eyes transformed into two constantly spinning, bottomless dark vortexes! An indescribable, terrifying pressure, far exceeding the imagination of everyone present, erupted from within the tower like a tsunami, instantly shattering the mental barrier erected by Master Serafina!

"Not good! The final stage of the ritual has begun! They're forcibly drawing upon the will of the Abyss Lord!" Master Walter's expression changed drastically, and he could no longer conceal his intentions. "Attack! Interrupt her!"

He roared, and a blinding burst of lightning erupted from the tip of his staff, instantly forming a huge "lightning spear" that tore through the air and shot straight at Elena high up in the tower!

Master Kalan pressed his hands to the ground, and thick rock walls rose up, protecting the team in the middle and attempting to block several exits of the tower.

Master Serafina groaned, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth. Clearly, the mental backlash had injured her, but she still struggled on, trying to disrupt the dark pillar of light that shot into the sky.

However, a ritual meticulously prepared by a second-circle wizard for many years is not so easily interrupted.

Master Elena sneered, not even turning around. A shadow shield composed of countless wailing soul phantoms naturally appeared behind her, easily blocking Walter's lightning spear! The lightning collided with the shadow, producing a deafening explosion, but it couldn't shake her in the slightest!

"Foolish disruptor! The ritual is complete, Nyarlathotep's gaze has fallen! It's all too late!" Elena laughed maniacally. "Feel the call of 'Slumber' from the abyss!"

She pointed her staff downwards, and the terrifying pressure emanating from the tower, originating from the Abyss Lord, suddenly transformed into an invisible yet incredibly powerful mental shock, like an invisible giant hammer, slamming into everyone's consciousness!

This is not an attack, but... forced hypnosis! A slumbering power containing the will of the Abyss Lord!

"Ugh!"

Master Serafina, who was the first to be hit, spat out a mouthful of blood. Her mental defenses collapsed instantly, her eyes became unfocused, and her body swayed precariously.

Master Kalan's rock barrier was greatly reduced in effectiveness against this mental attack, and he himself groaned as his movements became sluggish.

Master Walter withstood the first wave of impact with his powerful elemental will, but his casting speed slowed down significantly.

As for Luo Wei, Barton, and Lilith, they felt as if a giant mountain had smashed into their heads! Barton roared and unleashed his fighting spirit to resist, but blood gushed from his seven orifices. Lilith's spiritual power was like a candle flickering in the wind, about to be extinguished in an instant.

Luo Wei's experience was the most bizarre and terrifying! The call of slumber not only impacted his consciousness but also triggered the abyssal mark within him that had just been suppressed by spatial energy! The mark pulsed wildly, as if it had encountered a master and was cheering with joy, wanting to resonate with the descending will! At the same time, his newly acquired spatial perception allowed him to "see" more clearly the terror and vastness of that will, an existence that was simply beyond human power to resist!

His consciousness swung violently in a struggle of despair, his soul feeling as if it were being torn apart. Just as he was about to completely lose consciousness, the gray stone slab in his arms emanated a warm pulse once more. A cool, ancient energy, imbued with the meaning of "stability" and "isolation," flowed into his sea of ​​consciousness, forcefully suppressing the abyssal imprint that was about to go berserk, and forming an extremely thin yet exceptionally resilient protective layer around his consciousness, barely resisting the erosion of the call to slumber!

He barely maintained his last shred of consciousness, only to see his companions falling one by one... Barton knelt on one knee, his greatsword embedded in the ground, stubbornly resisting but his mind fading. Lilith had already collapsed to the ground. Even the three masters were stiff in their movements, their expressions pained, clearly struggling with all their might and unable to spare any attention.

Inside the tower, the body of the "container" boy had begun to undergo a terrifying mutation, and more dark energy was pouring in frantically through the pillars of light in the sky!

Something has to be done! Otherwise, everyone will die here!

Luo Wei's gaze suddenly locked onto the base of the tower, the source of the shadow energy pillars and the core node of the entire ritual energy network! In his spatial perception, it was not flawless, because the forced introduction of massive energy had put its structure in a fragile state of extreme power, which was also temporarily overloaded!

A crazy idea flooded his almost exploding mind!

He cannot fight against the descending will, but perhaps he can... destroy the container that holds it!

With his last ounce of strength, he pulled a specially crafted, most powerful "Concentrated High-Intensity Light Bomb" from Lilith's pouch. Then, he poured all the faint yet unique spiritual energy within him—a fusion of spatial perception and the energy of the stone slab—into the bomb, not to detonate it, but to...guide it! He guided its energy response pattern, finely adjusting it... to simulate the specific frequency fluctuations designed by his mentor, Harald, to activate the Starlight Moss Beacon!

He didn't know if this would work; it was the only method he could think of that might interfere with the stability of the ritual energy!

"Barton... throw... throw it at the tower... glowing point..." With his last bit of strength, Rowe shoved the bomb into the hand of Barton, who was barely keeping a shred of consciousness, and pointed it at the overload node he sensed.

Although Barton was delirious, his trust in Rowe was instinctive. He roared, unleashing his last bit of strength, and hurled the explosive bomb in his hand like a stone in the direction Rowe had pointed!

The concentrated high-intensity light explosive drew an arc and flew precisely towards the base of the tower!

Master Elena noticed this insignificant interference, snorted, and casually flicked out a wisp of shadow energy arrow, attempting to destroy it in mid-air.

However, just as the shadow arrow was about to hit the explosive bomb—

A flash of silver-gray light appeared in Luo Wei's eyes. He mobilized the last bit of spatial energy in his body and created a tiny spatial fold in front of the bomb in an extremely brief moment!

The shadow arrow grazed the edge of the spatial fold, failing to hit its target!

The concentrated high-intensity light bomb successfully passed through the interception and smashed into the overloaded energy node at the base of the tower!

boom--!!!

It wasn't a deafening explosion, but rather an extremely sharp, high-frequency energy hiss! A blinding burst of pure white light erupted instantly, like a small sun, fiercely scorching the dense shadow energy!

More importantly, the frequency that was deliberately guided by Luo Wei and imitated the resonance of starlight moss was like a discordant note that suddenly inserted into the smooth flow of ritual energy!

The energy nodes at the tower's base flickered and vibrated violently! The entire Tower of Slumber trembled violently! The dark pillar of light that shot into the sky showed an extremely subtle but real distortion and interruption!

Master Elena, high above, abruptly stopped chanting, her face showing a mixture of shock and anger for the first time: "What's going on?! Energy feedback...disrupted?!"

Inside the tower, the distorting "container" let out a painful rather than angry howl. The dark red veins on its body surface flickered erratically. Its descent was forcibly interrupted for a mere instant!

This brief interruption caused the terrifying mental impact of the "Sleep Call" to weaken instantly!

"A good opportunity!" Master Walter was the first to react. Although he didn't understand why, his fighting instincts made him seize this fleeting opportunity!

"In the name of thunder! Sky-Piercing Thunder Prison!" He held nothing back, pointing his staff to the sky and unleashing the true power of heaven and earth! Countless bolts of lightning descended from the sky, not to attack Elena, but to strike the unstable dark pillar of light and the tower itself!

Karan and Serafina also took the opportunity to catch their breath, and focused on strengthening their defenses and attempting to counterattack.

The battlefield situation was instantly reversed due to Luo Wei's desperate, albeit slight, interference!

However, forcibly guiding energy and manipulating spatial folds completely drained Luo Wei's last bit of strength. His vision went black, blood gushed from his mouth and nose, and he lost consciousness, collapsing to the ground.

The energy that had just been balanced within him became disordered again, the spatial rune chains flickered, and the abyssal mark stirred restlessly.

He successfully shifted the tide of the battle, but in doing so, he also plunged himself into a deeper crisis.

The abyssal will that had been forcibly interrupted from descending within the tower let out a silent yet furious roar. Its attention, for the first time, seemed to truly fall upon the tiny, weak being outside the tower that dared to provoke it.