The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

The mist in the valley hadn't completely dissipated, and the air was still filled with the lingering aura of emptiness and the aftershocks of energy fluctuations left by the dissipating mirage. Lowe's warning instantly put the four, who had just endured a fierce battle, on high alert. They quickly huddled together, forming a defensive formation. Barton wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, enduring his injuries, and once again raised his greatsword and tower shield. His protective aura of flames reignited, shielding everyone behind him. Lilith and Lina also gripped their potions and special materials tightly, warily glancing in the direction from which the spatial disturbance had originated.

The space in the distance rippled like water, and then, almost simultaneously, three figures stepped out of the void and landed precisely a few dozen meters away from Luo Wei and the others.

The group that arrived was neither the expected Discipline Tower enforcement team nor remnants of the Gray Tower.

The leader was a young man dressed in a well-tailored, dark blue wizard's robe inlaid with silver thread patterns. He had a handsome face and sharp eyes with a hint of barely perceptible arrogance. A uniquely shaped silver badge, resembling a combination of a gear and an eye, hung at his waist. His aura was calm and enigmatic, clearly that of a first-ring wizard!

Behind him followed two apprentices, a man and a woman, dressed in similar but lighter-colored robes. Their expressions were cold and their eyes were filled with scrutiny and vigilance. Their spiritual power fluctuations had reached the peak of advanced apprentices, just one step away from becoming quasi-wizards.

Rowe had never seen the insignia on the robes of these three men at Darkmoon Academy.

Darkmoon Academy World Encyclopedia: The Clockwork Tower

The Clock Tower is a powerful wizarding organization located on a distant eastern continent, renowned for its sophisticated magical instruments, divination, and spatial magic research. Its members are known for their meticulousness, punctuality, and even somewhat rigidity, and are skilled in crafting various magical clocks, automated constructs, and performing complex divination spells. They have limited contact with the Darkmoon Academy, but acknowledge each other's authority in their respective fields. Their emblem, the "Eye of the Gear," symbolizes their insight into the laws of time and the workings of all things.

"People from the Clock Tower?" Lilith exclaimed softly, her eyes filled with surprise. "How did they get here?"

The leading clock tower wizard's gaze swept across the ravaged battlefield, lingering for a moment on Barton's injuries and the lingering aura of intense void energy, before finally settling on Rowe, who was being protected by the others. His eyes flickered slightly, as if he had sensed the unusual spatial fluctuations emanating from Rowe and his weak yet resilient soul state.

"I am Kyle Silverstriped, a first-ring wizard of the Clock Tower." His voice was steady, with a formulaic tone. "By order of the Tower Master, I tracked down an unusual spatial rift fluctuation and strong pheromone residue, the source of which points to this place. Just now, a high-intensity void energy eruption occurred here. Was it caused by you?" His gaze was scrutinizing, not immediately showing hostility, but also not relaxing in the slightest.

Luo Wei's mind raced. The Clock Tower? Tracking the spatial rift and pheromones? Was it because of the mirage aggregate's explosion, or... because of the black information stone they had just obtained?

He stepped forward, remaining vigilant but calm as he replied, "Master Kyle, we are apprentices from the Darkmoon Academy. While conducting an academic expedition here, we were unexpectedly attacked by a powerful 'Void Mirage' swarm and forced to defend ourselves. The energy burst just now was caused by our defeat of the mirage aggregate." He concealed the presence of the information stone, attributing the conflict to self-defense.

"A Void Mirage? An Aggregate?" Wizard Kyle raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised that his apprentices could deal with such a thing. The two apprentices behind him exchanged a surprised look.

"To be able to defeat the mirage aggregate on your own, it seems the apprentices of Darkmoon Academy are quite capable." Wizard Kyle's tone softened slightly, but the scrutinizing tone remained. "What project are you investigating here? The spatial structure here is abnormal, and the information field is chaotic; this is not an ordinary academic investigation area."

This is a rather pointed question, directly touching upon the true purpose of their trip.

Lowe's mind raced. He couldn't reveal the secrets of the Information Stone and Carlson's Notes, but he also couldn't lie completely and arouse suspicion. He quickly came up with a half-true, half-false excuse: "We are researching the correlation between information field distortion and monster ecology in the special environment of the Shattered Star Mountains (which is indeed related to Carlson's theory in part), and we tracked an abnormal information flow to this place, unfortunately disturbing the Mirage Nest." He deliberately emphasized the word "information flow," which the Clock Tower was concerned about, in an attempt to divert attention.

Sure enough, when Wizard Kyle heard "information flow," his eyes focused more intently: "Anomaly information flow? What kind of information flow? Have you detected any specific characteristics?"

Just then, the black information stone, which was wrapped in an insulating cloth in Luo Wei's backpack, seemed to vibrate slightly, either due to the stimulation of the external conversation or by sensing some special probing energy emanating from the Clock Tower Wizard! An extremely faint but highly potent unique information fluctuation penetrated the insulating cloth and spread out instantly!

This fluctuation was imperceptible to ordinary people and even regular wizards, but it was as clear as a firefly in the dark to the members of the Clock Tower who were well-versed in information and prophecy, especially to a first-ring wizard like Kyle!

Wizard Kyle's expression changed abruptly, his gaze flashing like lightning as he looked at Rowe's backpack: "What's that?! What a unique source of information! It contains extremely ancient and orderly structural features! Hand it over!"

The two apprentices behind him immediately stepped forward, their hands glowing with complex runes that vaguely formed a model of some kind of binding or probing spell. The atmosphere instantly became tense!

Luo Wei inwardly cried out in alarm! This stone was indeed going to bring trouble!

Barton immediately took a step to the side, pointing his greatsword at the other party, and said in a deep voice, "This is our academy's spoils of war! Why should we hand it over to you!" His protective aura of flames burned fiercely.

Lilith and Lina also nervously prepared the medicine and materials.

Wizard Kyle's eyes sharpened, and a trace of the aura of a formal wizard emanated from him. Though not strong, it carried a chilling sense of order: "According to Article 17 of the 'Pan-Continental High-Risk Anomaly Item Tracking and Temporary Control Agreement,' the Clock Tower has the right to conduct preliminary identification and temporary control over any unregistered anomaly items that may cause large-scale information pollution or spacetime disruption. The items in your possession have abnormal information characteristics, and I need to inspect them. Please cooperate; otherwise, I will take coercive measures as appropriate."

He spoke with great conviction, as if it were true. But it seemed more like an excuse.

Rowe's mind raced. Forcing the surrender was out of the question, and a direct confrontation was no match for a first-ring wizard. He had to find a way to maneuver.

He pressed Barton's arm, signaling him to calm down, and then said to Wizard Kyle, "Master Kyle, this item was obtained from the core of the Mirage. Its nature is unknown and it may be dangerous. Moreover, it is the property of Darkmoon Academy. Even if authentication is necessary, it should be done by our Disciplinary Elders or instructors in the relevant field. Would you be willing to return to the Academy with us and explain the situation to Elder Anderson or Master Field? It would be more appropriate for the Academy to negotiate the procedures with the Clock Tower at that time."

His words were reasonable and well-founded, pointing out the danger of the items and their ownership, and offering a seemingly cooperative solution, but in reality, he was stalling for time and trying to bring in the college's higher-ups to counterbalance the other side.

Wizard Kyle was clearly taken aback by the calm and eloquence of this seemingly frail middle apprentice. He frowned. Forcibly seizing the belongings of several apprentices would damage the Clock Tower's reputation and could indeed trigger a diplomatic dispute with Darkmoon Academy. But that source of information seemed extremely important to him and to the Clock Tower, and he didn't want to give it up easily.

Just as he was pondering, the information stone in Luo Wei's backpack reacted again! This time, it didn't emit any fluctuations, but rather resonated with the gray stone slab in Luo Wei's arms on a deeper level!

A cool and vast stream of intent, like a gentle trickle, quietly flowed into Luo Wei's mind through the stone slab. It was not a transmission of knowledge, but rather an extremely vague, temporary technique on how to initially guide and seal such high-density information carrier fragments! This technique was based on a minimalist application of certain "Foundation Rune - Seal" and "Foundation Rune - Concealment," seemingly an emergency solution instinctively provided by the stone slab after sensing a crisis!

opportunity!

Without time to think, Luo Wei immediately followed the guidance of the thought stream, secretly mobilizing a trace of almost imperceptible spatial energy and mental power, and in an extremely concise yet profound way, quietly covered the surface of the information stone in his backpack, forming a temporary and extremely fragile internal seal layer.

At the same time, he remained outwardly calm and said to Wizard Kyle, "If the master insists on examining it now, for safety reasons, could you come forward alone, and we can temporarily lift some of the barriers while maintaining a safe distance, so that you can get a preliminary feel for it? But a thorough examination must be carried out after we return to the academy." He was testing the waters and also covering up the seal he had just set up.

Wizard Kyle stared at Rowe for a few seconds, seemingly trying to find a flaw in his expression. Finally, he nodded: "Alright. But I warn you, don't try anything funny." He gestured for the two apprentices to stay where they were, and then slowly stepped forward.

Luo Wei carefully took out the information stone wrapped in talisman cloth from his backpack and slowly peeled off a corner.

Wizard Kyle focused his mental energy, carefully sensing the past. However, the unique and intense information fluctuations from before had become extremely weak and obscure, as if wrapped in an invisible membrane. He could only vaguely sense the vast and ancient amount of information contained within, but the specific content and structural features were difficult to discern. It was more like a high-quality but unactivated information storage crystal ore than the strange information source that he had previously sensed as having vitality.

"Hmm?" Wizard Kyle frowned, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. Could it be that his perception was wrong? Or was the isolation talisman too effective? Or perhaps... this apprentice had tampered with something? But he didn't detect any obvious signs of energy manipulation.

"How is it, Master? Can we wait until we get back to the academy for a more detailed assessment?" Luo Wei asked, having carefully rewrapped the information stone.

Wizard Kyle remained silent, lost in thought. The item was right before him, but its value didn't seem as high as he'd imagined. Conflicting with Darkmoon Academy for an uncertain source of information seemed somewhat pointless. Yet, a lingering doubt remained deep within him.

Just then, another spatial fluctuation came from afar! This time, the fluctuation was more intense and familiar—the light from the Dark Moon Academy's unique short-range teleportation array lit up!

Several figures appeared in a flash, the leader being the stern-faced head of the Discipline Tower (a first-ring wizard), followed by four fully armed Discipline Tower enforcers (advanced apprentices)!

"Kyle Silver-Striped Wizard?" The deacon was clearly taken aback when he saw the people from the Clock Tower, then his expression became even more serious. "Why are you here? This is the territory under the jurisdiction of my Darkmoon Academy."

Upon seeing the arrival of the Darkmoon Academy officials, Wizard Kyle knew the situation was hopeless and immediately reverted to his formulaic expression: "Your Excellency, we tracked an unusual intercontinental spatial rift to this location and happened to sense a high-intensity energy burst. We came to investigate and encountered your academy's students, and we are currently gathering information."

The deacon's gaze swept over Rowe and his companions, noticing Barton's injuries and the signs of battle around them. His brow furrowed, and he turned to Kyle: "I see. Thank you for the Clock Tower's concern. This matter will be handled by my Discipline Tower; there's no need for you to trouble yourself." Although his tone was polite, it carried an undeniable air of dismissal.

Wizard Kyle nodded, then took one last deep look at the backpack in Rowe's hand, and said, "In that case, we'll take our leave. However, Your Excellency, the information crystal in your apprentice's possession has some unusual energy characteristics. I suggest your institution examine it carefully, and if necessary, notify us. The Clock Tower is quite knowledgeable about such items." He seemed to be offering a well-intentioned reminder, but in reality, he was leaving himself an excuse to intervene.

"No need to worry, our institute has its own procedures," the dean replied indifferently.

Without another word, Wizard Kyle, along with his two apprentices, activated the teleportation rune on his body, and his figure quickly faded and disappeared.

After seeing off the Clock Tower personnel, the deacon turned his cold gaze to Luo Wei and his group of four: "What trouble have you gotten into this time? Why did you trespass into this high-risk area and attract the Clock Tower's attention?"

Luo Wei breathed a sigh of relief; at least the crisis at the Clock Tower was temporarily averted. He quickly reiterated his prepared explanation (researching the topic of information field distortion and being attacked by a mirage), again omitting the core secret of the information stone and only saying that it was an unknown crystal obtained from the core of the mirage, which he planned to take back to the academy for research.

The deacon carefully examined the battlefield traces and used some kind of magic to probe the surroundings, indeed discovering strong mirage remnants and fluctuations in battle energy, which largely matched Luo Wei's description. He then focused on checking Luo Wei's condition, confirming that the abyssal imprint within his soul remained stable and suppressed, without any abnormalities.

"Hmph, consider yourself lucky." The deacon sneered. "From now on, any dangerous project you undertake must be reported to the academy in advance and an escort must be requested! Now, return to the academy with us immediately! This crystal will be temporarily kept and appraised by the Discipline Tower!" He pointed to the information stone in Luo Wei's hand.

Luo Wei's heart tightened, but knowing he couldn't resist, he could only obediently hand over the temporarily sealed black information stone. Fortunately, the most important secret was temporarily hidden, and now that he was back at the academy, there was always room to maneuver.

Under the "escort" of the Discipline Tower team, the group stepped onto the teleportation array to return to the academy.

No one noticed that at the last moment before leaving the valley, Lina seemed to casually bend down to tie her shoelaces, and her fingers very discreetly picked up a tiny, almost invisible, dark silver metallic fragment that had been splashed out when the mirage aggregate exploded, and quickly hid it in her sleeve.

A subtle glint of doubt and inquiry flashed in her eyes, a stark contrast to her usual quiet and obedient demeanor.

Meanwhile, deep within the black information stone held by the deacon of the Discipline Tower, beneath the temporary seal hastily laid down by Luo Wei, countless star-like points of light were flickering in a slow, yet profoundly meaningful pattern.

The secrets it carries are far more complex than they appear on the surface.

This unexpected encounter not only brought a temporary crisis, but may also have quietly opened a window to a wider world and a more complex future.

Was the intervention of the clock tower accidental or inevitable?