The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

The atmosphere at the temporary camp on the edge of the Shattered Star Mountains was as heavy as ice. Elder Anderson's sudden appearance and his unquestionable orders extinguished the brief excitement of Rowe and his companions after their hard-fought battle and acquisition of the mysterious black stone.

Barton's injuries have temporarily stabilized thanks to the emergency medicine Lilith prepared, but his internal organs have been damaged, requiring rest. Lina is pale from exhaustion. Although the burden on his soul has been greatly relieved by the "Heart Scar Potion" and his own breathing exercises, the backlash from forcibly interfering with the microscopic space still leaves him mentally exhausted.

Faced with the overwhelming pressure of a third-circle wizard, any objection was futile. Lowe silently took out the black information stone wrapped in an insulating cloth and handed it over. The moment the stone left his hand, a faint, almost lingering, fluctuation emanated from the gray stone tablet in his robes, but it quickly subsided.

Elder Anderson took the black stone, his sharp eyes not even glancing at it twice. A faint golden light emanated from his fingertips as he swiftly drew several complex sealing runes on the stone's surface. The star-like, multicolored spots on the stone's surface instantly dimmed, and all unique information fluctuations were completely isolated.

"This item is extremely significant and needs to be taken back to the Discipline Tower for detailed examination and risk assessment." Elder Anderson's voice was calm as he put away the sealed black stone. "You ventured into dangerous territory without authorization and encountered the 'Void Mirage Aggregate.' Although there were reasons for this, it ultimately violated the Academy's regulations on high-risk areas. Considering that you discovered the anomaly and successfully escaped, this will not be investigated further, but this will not be a repeat offense."

His gaze swept over the four of them, lingering for a moment on Luo Wei: "Especially you, Luo Wei's apprentice. Your situation is special, so you should be even more careful with your words and actions, and stay away from anything unknown that might trigger the hidden dangers within your body. After returning to the academy, you must immediately go to the Discipline Tower for a detailed report and a soul re-examination."

"Yes, Elder." The four bowed their heads in response, each with their own thoughts. Luo Wei could sense that Elder Anderson's appearance was no coincidence, and that his regard for this black stone far exceeded his apparent indifference.

Darkmoon Academy World Encyclopedia: Edict Seal

A high-level sealing technique unique to the Disciplinary Elders. Using the power of disciplinary contracts, it directly imposes rules-level "definitions" and "restrictions" on the target object, such as "preventing energy leakage," "isolating information transmission," and "locking its form." The effect is powerful and difficult to remove by conventional means, but casting it consumes a huge amount of energy and requires an extremely high level of disciplinary cultivation from the caster. It is typically used to seal highly dangerous or forbidden objects or crucial evidence.

Under Elder Anderson's "escort," the journey back to the academy was unusually peaceful; no monsters or anomalies dared to approach a third-circle wizard. But this peace, ironically, made Rowe feel an invisible pressure.

Back at the academy, Barton and Lina were taken to the medical room for further treatment, while Lilith needed rest and to organize the potion data from this adventure. Rowe was taken directly to the Discipline Tower.

Stepping back into that cold, somber hall, feeling the omnipresent pressure of the law, Luo Wei's mind was highly focused. He knew that this "reporting and review" would be anything but easy.

Inside the briefing room, Elder Anderson was alone. He gestured for Rowe to sit on a cold metal chair opposite him, the back of which was connected to several runic lines emitting faint energy fluctuations.

"Recount your experiences in the Shattered Star Mountain Valley, especially the process of encountering and ultimately obtaining that black stone, in great detail. Do not omit or conceal anything." Elder Anderson's voice echoed in the empty room, carrying a power that went straight to the heart.

Luo Wei took a deep breath and began to recount. He omitted the resonant guidance of the gray stone tablet (attributing it solely to his own special perception due to his Void Affinity) and his conjecture about the "Source Library" (stating it was merely an intuition about the anomalous information field), but he described the encounter with the mirage, the discovery of the illusion, the fierce battle with the aggregate, and finally the attack on its core node and the discovery of the black stone as detailed and objectively as possible. He emphasized the eerie power of the mirage aggregate and the unusual way the black stone appeared.

Elder Anderson listened quietly, his fingers occasionally tapping lightly on the armrest, his expression unreadable. Only after Luo Wei finished speaking did he slowly open his mouth: "Why is your perception of that 'core node' so accurate? With your intermediate apprentice level mental strength, even with spatial affinity, it would be difficult to pinpoint such a subtle weakness in that chaotic energy field."

Here it comes! Luo Wei felt a chill run down his spine, knowing this was the crucial question. He was prepared, and answered in a deep voice, "This student dares not conceal anything. The situation was critical at the time, and I concentrated all my mental energy into my eyes, activating a certain potential… I seemed to be able to briefly see the 'trajectories' and 'nodes' of energy flow. This ability is unreliable and consumes a great deal of energy; it cannot be reproduced afterward." He attributed the ability to a brief outburst under crisis, explaining the situation while avoiding revealing the "Analytic Heart's" normal abilities.

Elder Anderson stared intently at Rowe for a moment, his gaze seemingly piercing through his soul. Rowe focused all his energy on maintaining his composure, relying on the power of the "Foundation Rune - Stability" and the faint protection of the stone slab to keep his mind clear and avoid revealing any flaws.

After a long silence, Elder Anderson finally looked away and said calmly, "Breakthroughs on the eve of battle are not unprecedented. Next, we will conduct a soul re-examination. Relax your mind and do not resist."

He raised his hand and unleashed a soft golden light that enveloped Luo Wei. At the same time, the runes on the metal chair Luo Wei was sitting on lit up, and a gentle yet irresistible probing power surged into his body, carefully scanning his soul state, energy channels, and especially the condition of the abyss mark.

Lowe could sense that this probing power was deeper and more systematic than that of Master Field and Master Rex, as if it wanted to thoroughly dissect him from the inside out. He guarded his mind, guiding the flow of the spiritual power that had merged with the spatial energy, while firmly suppressing the Abyss Mark under layers of seals.

The investigation lasted about fifteen minutes. Afterwards, Elder Anderson withdrew the golden light, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"The soul tremor has subsided, and the fusion of spatial energy... has exceeded expectations and is stabilizing. The activity of the Abyss Mark has been effectively suppressed, but its roots are extremely deep. The 'Heart Mark Potion' must be taken on time without interruption." He concluded, his tone still calm, but Luo Wei caught a fleeting look of surprise in his eyes. Clearly, the stability of his soul's fusion with spatial energy, and the effectiveness of suppressing the Abyss Mark, had surprised even this third-ring wizard.

"That black stone..." Rowe couldn't help but ask tentatively.

"That's not something you should be concerned with at this stage," Elder Anderson interrupted him directly, his tone carrying a hint of warning. "The Discipline Tower will handle this properly. Remember your identity and contract, and focus on your own cultivation and stability. You may leave now."

Knowing he couldn't get any more information, Lo Wei could only get up, bow, and leave the Tower of Discipline.

Stepping out of that oppressive door, he let out a long sigh of relief; his back was soaked with cold sweat. Every encounter with Elder Anderson felt like dancing on a knife's edge.

Back at his lodgings, Lowe locked himself in his room, carefully replaying every detail of his encounter. Elder Anderson's emphasis on the black stone, and the Discipline Tower's swift and professional handling of the situation, all indicated that the stone was no ordinary object. The Academy's higher-ups clearly knew something about these kinds of "information sediments," and might even have been secretly searching for or researching them.

This further convinced him of the value of Carlson's notes. The conjecture about the "Source Library" might not be unfounded, but rather touched upon a field that had been blocked or treated with caution by the academy's higher-ups.

He turned his attention back to himself. This trip to the Shattered Star Mountains, though fraught with peril, had been incredibly rewarding. The battle with the Mirage Aggregate had given him practical experience in applying his spatial perception and information-gathering abilities. Especially the final, forceful microscopic interference with space, while immensely demanding, had allowed him to explore the potential of his Void Affinity Physique—not just perception, but also subtle manipulation.

He tried to enter that state again, but found it extremely difficult; a faint stinging pain shot through his soul, clearly indicating he was far from being able to use it at will. This required long-term practice and gradual improvement; it couldn't be rushed.

Current status: Rowe (Late-stage Intermediate Apprentice)

•

Strength assessment: The realm is stable, spatial perception and information capture capabilities have been tested in actual combat, and the initial form of void affinity manipulation is emerging (extremely unstable), with a more solid theoretical foundation.

•

Soul status: The Abyss Mark has been effectively suppressed (Heart Scar Potion + fusion of self-space energy), and the fusion degree of space energy is good.

•

Development priorities: Consolidate existing capabilities, attempt to stabilize microscopic spatial interference, deepen understanding of runic literature and foundational runes, and cautiously explore information perception.

In the following days, Lowe's life returned to normal. He spent most of his time on the third floor of the library, continuing to study runic literature and contract theory, and began to consciously search for obscure records related to "information," "carrier," and "sedimentation," hoping to find more clues to support Carlson's conjecture, but he found little, as this kind of knowledge seemed to have been intentionally filtered or encrypted.

He also visited Barton and Lina. Barton, being physically robust, recovered quickly and was already able to get out of bed, clamoring to continue honing his combat skills. Lina, on the other hand, was still somewhat weak, but in good spirits, constantly reminiscing about the various strange materials she had encountered during that adventure.

Lilith was completely absorbed in analyzing the fragments of information from the "Void Mirage" and its strange aromatic components, trying to develop a more effective antidote. She even derived the idea of ​​creating a "Space Oscillation Bomb" from the reverse activation of the space stabilizing agent, although it is still in the theoretical stage at present.

The team seems to have temporarily lost a clear goal and entered a period of digesting the gains and accumulating experience.

However, this tranquility was shattered late one night.

Lo Wei is in deep meditation, trying to use his newly understood "Foundation Rune - Flow" concept to guide the energy in his body to circulate more smoothly, so as to nourish his soul and consolidate the spatial integration.

Suddenly, the gray stone slab in his arms, which had been silent for several days, once again emitted a clear vibration!

This time, it wasn't resonance or attraction, but rather a fragmented yet more concrete flow of information! This flow of information wasn't a direct transmission of knowledge, but rather more like a "playback" of residual memory fragments or environmental records!

The perspective in the clip is extremely peculiar, as if floating on the dome of a massive metal hall filled with various glowing runes and pipe structures. In the center of the hall, a blurry figure (whose aura is extremely similar to that of Carlson's notes) is busy at a complex control panel, surrounded by several orbs of light, which seem to contain black information stones of different shapes! The figure continuously injects various energies into the orbs, seemingly testing or extracting information from the stones.

Immediately afterward, the scene shifted to a dimly lit underground chamber. The walls were covered with patterns similar to, yet far more ancient and complex than, the runes of the Lawful Contract. Several figures, their faces obscured, clad in robes bearing the insignia of the Discipline Tower, were performing some kind of ritual around a massive, constantly writhing, shadowy substance. The aura emanating from that shadowy substance caused even the abyssal imprint deep within Luo Wei's soul to tremble! And in the hand of one of the Discipline Tower members, a different-shaped black information stone was held, seemingly intending to cast it into the shadow!

The scene abruptly ends there.

Luo Wei was jolted awake from his meditation, drenched in cold sweat!

What message does the stone slab convey?

The first scene appears to show Carlson (or someone connected to him) studying various black information stones? This suggests that there is more than one information stone, and that someone is conducting systematic research on it!

The second scene is even more chilling! Are the people of the Discipline Tower experimenting on some dangerous shadow substance using the black information stone? And the aura of that shadow substance… is it related to the Abyss? Did Elder Anderson take the black stone simply to "assess the risk"? Or… is the Discipline Tower itself conducting some kind of forbidden research involving the Abyss and the information stone?

Master Elena is imprisoned in the Discipline Tower… The rituals of the Gray Tower require a vessel of “pure souls”… The Discipline Tower’s secret experiments…

A series of clues collided wildly in Luo Wei's mind, sketching out a chilling picture.

Beneath the academy's light, how much darkness lies hidden? Is the Discipline Tower, the maintainer of order, itself a huge mystery, or even... a source of danger?

Was this "information" from the stone slab a warning? Guidance? Or... another trap?

Luo Wei felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. He had originally thought that with the threat from the Gray Tower eliminated, he could develop in peace for a while. Now it seemed that he might have inadvertently stepped into a deeper and more dangerous vortex.

He gripped the gray stone slab tightly; the cool touch calmed him down slightly.