Wizards pursue the truth

Chapter 107 [107] Three-way confrontation: Who is the real predator?

[The rules are as follows: The Fiery Sky Realm and the Corrupted Forest Realm each contain 10,000 Dark Medals. These are not physical entities but are stored as data by the Wizard's Mark (access is required). The number of Dark Medals possessed directly affects the ranking in the realm competition.]

[Note: Upon ending the dungeon, you will be teleported away. The number of Dark Medals you currently possess will be used as a ranking criterion, and the medals within the dungeon will be permanently deducted from your inventory. However, for three minutes after ending the dungeon, the Dark Medals you possess will remain at your location and can be picked up by other wizards.]

Sunlight could not penetrate the thick foliage. In the dim light, a figure dressed in a black wizard's robe leaned against a large, jet-black tree. All around were trees like this, and jet-black fallen leaves floated on the ground. This was an unusual wetland swamp.

The putrid stench made Wang Ya frown slightly, and he looked down at the sticky sewage that had submerged the soles of his shoes. He was wearing rain boots made of extraordinary materials, which were waterproof and could also protect against some insect bites.

These are all secondary. Mental perception can detect some dangers in advance, and at the same time, particle energy forms a very weak protective layer on the skin's surface.

Poisonous insects, harmful bacteria, spores, and the like will be burned by the high temperature before they get close to Wang Ya's respiratory tract.

After Wang Ya's improvements, the Crimson Heat magic can also be activated semi-permanently within the body.

Knowing that he had entered the Corrosion Forest Secret Realm, Wang Ya immediately used these methods, and the consumption of particle energy was not much.

Lifting my right foot, I saw that the surface of my shoe was covered with tiny insects, their heads biting into the shoe, their bodies writhing, probably numbering in the hundreds.

The environment of the Corrosion Forest was even harsher than Wang Ya had anticipated. If one were to step barefoot into this sewage, one would be lifted up in no time to find a skeletal skeleton. No mortal could possibly survive in this place.

Harak flapped its wings and landed on his shoulder, its jet-black pupils observing its surroundings in complete silence.

The surrounding environment was also deathly silent, with only a complex arrangement of black trees of varying heights, some hundreds of meters high and others only a dozen meters.

Recalling the records he had seen in the library, could these black trees be Yin trees? But without a doubt, the Corrosion Forest was not Wang Ya's home ground. Most of the particle energy in the environment was inert, while fire element particle energy magic was active.

If the sky were ablaze with fire, Wang Ya's witchcraft and strength might be able to improve further.

However, this did not mean he was at a disadvantage. The Shadow Blade appeared in his hand and stabbed into the trunk of the black tree behind him. Under the influence of particle energy, a pitch-black snake gradually emerged, struggling in pain and twisting its body in an attempt to break free.

Wang Ya's pupils gleamed with a faint, sparse blue light.

[Target: Soul-Eating Serpent]

[Details: They feed on spiritual energy and particle energy, and also crave flesh with extraordinary properties. The corrosive liquid released by the Yin Tree is something they prefer, serving as protection during their early stages, and also as their primary food source.]

The blade of the Shadow Assassin slowly retracted, and the corpse of the Soul-Eating Serpent fell into the muddy sewage. Before the green blood could even ooze out, it was devoured into a ghastly skeleton.

The environment of the sagging forest is a threat, and the organisms that live there are an even greater threat; we must be constantly vigilant.

If the Soul-Eating Serpent has appeared, then the Yin Spirits should not be far behind.

The existence of vengeful spirits is peculiar, somewhat similar to, yet different from, those who die in secret realms. Their souls do not dissipate but are absorbed by the Yin Tree, thus giving birth to vengeful spirits.

They also crave the flesh and blood of living people; it's a fanatical desire to gain warmth and satisfy the cold, empty longing in their hearts.

Even the Soul-Eating Serpent can be attacked by spirits, and young Soul-Eating Serpents will be killed.

Adult Soul-Eating Serpents are no longer afraid of spirits and can even use the corrosive liquid secreted by the Yin Tree to harm them.

A unique symbiotic relationship exists, with the shady tree at its core, absorbing energy from natural particles to secrete a corrosive liquid, thus achieving ecological stability.

According to the rules, 10,000 Dark Medals are located in various places within the Corrupted Forest Secret Realm. The next step is to obtain as many Dark Medals as possible.

Wang Ya frowned slightly, as he was considering another aspect of the rules.

If a wizard has acquired enough Dark Medals and then encounters another wizard, it is highly likely that they will be stolen.

Even if you choose to leave the secret realm, the Dark Medals you collect will not disappear immediately. They will remain in place for about ten minutes before disappearing, and can be picked up by other wizards and used as part of their medal count.

Wizards who leave will be counted as having zero medals.

This puts newly minted wizards in a dilemma: how many medals are considered enough?

Find a secluded place to leave, and consider whether you have enough medals to qualify for a higher position.

If they don't leave and continue searching for more medals, they might encounter other wizards and have them stolen, leaving them with nothing.

Those who die in the secret realm competition will not be punished, as long as it is within the rules.

"Truly impressive." Wang Ya admired the wizard behind the design of the secret realm competition. He had considered all aspects and truly achieved a balance between fairness, competitiveness, assessment, and even entertainment.

Right now, their scene in the secret realm is likely being watched by many wizards.

There are other threats that must be considered, though the rules do not prohibit alliances between new wizarding students.

If multiple new wizards team up to hunt down other new wizards and obtain more Shadow Medals...

Wang Ya's eyes flickered. In any case, it was better to prepare in advance than to be caught off guard.

The Wizard's Mark will be sensitive to the Dark Medallion, with a range of one hundred meters.

Wang Ya didn't know how many secret realms there were in the Corrosion Forest. All he knew were the divisions of the secret realm areas: the swamp area, the dense forest area, and the disordered area.

The current location should be in a dense forest area, which is relatively safe in terms of environment, with only threats such as ghosts and soul-devouring snakes.

If you go to the swamp area, it will be much more troublesome. No one knows how many dangers exist underwater, and there may be large, extraordinary creatures.

Drop drop!

Accompanied by rapid sounds and flashing red dots, a large number of flying mechanical constructs emerged from the black forest, vibrating their artificial cicada wings at an extremely high frequency, enabling them to move at high speed over a small area.

These items are extremely fine, and one can even appreciate a unique mechanical beauty from the specific inlay patterns.

Energy, transmitted through even finer channels, converges at the front end of the mechanical construct, resembling a cannon muzzle resembling an eye, sending a chill down one's spine.

The next moment, a scarlet energy beam pierced out, forming a concentrated attack through the locking system. The nearby Yin Wood and Soul-Eating Serpent were all riddled with holes. This attack lasted for a full ten seconds.

Amidst the scorching heat, an incredibly safe and open area was thus formed.

A figure dressed in a gray wizard's robe stepped out, with a number of flying mechanical constructs floating around him.

However, unlike the flying mechanical constructs that release scarlet beams, the energy they generate is blue, and they don't have eye-shaped muzzles. Instead, they have various octopus-like mechanical tentacles, which seem to serve a different purpose.

After carefully observing his surroundings and nodding slightly in confirmation, Gurester Mad began using the floating assistants he had created with mechanical magic—the tentacle-like floating machines—to build a temporary base for himself.

He pulled out a number of extraordinary metal artifacts from the sleeves of his wizard's robe.

These floating mechanical assistants, with their octopus-like tentacles, disassembled the metal components and began constructing a combat platform base specifically for mechanical wizards.

The biggest difference between the Mechanical Wizard system and other wizard systems is that combat requires the use of mechanical magic to construct corresponding mechanical creations to assist in battle.

Of course, Gurester's core fighting ability is not just his mechanical creations; his true trump card lies within himself.

"I wonder where Aetrie has been teleported to. I hope she's in the same secret realm as me, otherwise it'll be troublesome." Gurester had a horse-like face, a hooked nose, and very mature eyes as he pondered relevant countermeasures.

How can I obtain more Dark Medals within the limits of the rules?

The original plan was to cooperate with his younger brother, Aetrie. The two mechanical wizards knew each other well and could cooperate effectively, making them a combination that was definitely greater than two.

Then hunt down other new wizards, obtain their Dark Medals, and together secure the top three spots.

This is not impossible; their unique mechanical magic—floating creations—is extremely adept at searching and can locate the presence of other wizards through thermal imaging.

In combat, the two have a history of fighting to a draw against a third-level wizard apprentice from the family.

Dealing with other new wizards would be far too easy.

Finding the Dark Medal is much more troublesome. It is just a special information integration that can be sensed and absorbed by the wizard's mark, but cannot be found by other means.

"Forget it, the secret realm is so vast, there must be some hidden or dangerous places in the Dark Medal. Let's find my brother first, and then consider other things."

Even when hunting other new wizards, they need to be allowed to search for a period of time and acquire a certain number of Dark Medals before it becomes worthwhile to hunt them.

Gurester took off his clothes, tore off his chest skin, revealing the mechanized internal structure. As the small door in the heart part opened, a new kind of floating creation flew out and disappeared on the spot with the flow of energy.

The chameleon-like floating creatures used for covert reconnaissance are so difficult for even a second-level wizard apprentice to detect without careful observation and mental perception.

First, go find other new wizards and mark them.

If we can find Atreus, that would be best; if not, he'll have to do it himself.

"This secret realm is too big. If it were within 100,000 meters, we could sense each other through the mechanical core."

Gurest shook his head, removed his right wrist, revealing a structure resembling mechanical tentacles. The tips began to heat up, intended for the integration of mechanical creations and connection to the combat platform base for further development.

A qualified hunter needs enough patience to wait for the prey to become plump.

The calm ground was covered with black fallen leaves. Unlike ordinary trees, the Yin Wood did not wither or turn yellow. As long as the particle energy remained in the secret realm, it would remain in its original state.

The oldest Yin Wood in the Corruption Forest Secret Realm is five thousand years old. Even older pieces have been collected by the Dark Lands headquarters as rare and extraordinary materials.

A figure in a wizard's robe stood beside a huge dark tree, supporting his body with just his right hand, preventing his legs from touching the ground.

This was not the ground, but a bottomless, murky, putrid liquid. However, the fallen leaves and dust accumulated over the years concealed the danger very well. Zak'Anton could even sense the greedy gaze that was watching him.

A cold smile appeared on his lips. What kind of bastards dare to mess with him?

Gray particle energy spread from his fingertips to the Yin Wood. He manipulated some of the branches, which wrapped around a Soul-Devouring Serpent. Sharp wood grew inside the serpent, instantly riddling it with holes, and green blood dripped onto the turbid layer below.

Stimulated by the smell of blood, the floating driftwood burst open with a splash, and a black-skinned lizard leaped out, its mouth as flat and long as a crocodile's, using its shark-like rows of teeth to bite down.

The cold, ethereal particle energy transformed into a gray ribbon, enveloping the body and limbs of this unknown supernatural creature. As it contracted, some woody structures appeared on its skin and flesh.

Zak'Anton sneered, "Let's start with you, become my first puppet."

"Firestorm is more suitable for Isar's sorcery, but Corruption Forest is where my puppet sorcery shines."

A moment later, a creature with a half-plant, half-wooden structure and half-flesh floated on the swamp's surface. Zack stood on its back, his expression expectant. "Every creature in the secret realm can become my puppet, under my control. With enough puppets, no matter how well the Dark Medal is hidden, it can be found. Or..."

A chilling glint appeared in his eyes. "Finding other wizards is the same; you can always get more Dark Medals. Those who know what's good for them will leave, and those who don't will die."

He was under immense pressure; the future of the Anton family rested on his shoulders, and he also had to prove to his father that he was not a substitute for anyone.

He can do better than anyone else and secure a top-three spot, proving himself to everyone.

To this end, any means necessary will be employed.

The new wizards in other areas of the Corrupted Forest also made their own choices: some successfully found the Dark Medal, while others fell into danger and had to leave the secret realm.

The assessment begins the moment one sets foot in the secret realm.

The diverse group of new students will gradually be filtered out through the assessment process, and these people will be the fresh blood of the Dark Land, the true future.

Not everyone deserves the opportunity and resources that the Darklands Headquarters provides.

The corresponding images were also displayed to the outside world, projected onto the New Life Plaza, and monitored in real time by the Wizard Array Central Hub. They were then transcribed to the Dark Information Central Hub, where wizards from the main headquarters could pay a fee in magic stones to view them.

Of course, wizards at the New Life Plaza do not need to spend this magic stone.

Wizard Garan has already left; he should go back and take a nap.

Only a few teaching wizards left. Wizard Lando and Wizard Windwalker stood next to Wizard Gusay, chatting and watching the content on the projection screen.

Kazeantuan stood beside him, his back ramrod straight, watching the scene unfold on the screen. The content of the screen was automatically selected and presented by the central system, such as the elimination of new students, new students encountering danger, and engaging in combat.

Or perhaps it's about the encounters between freshmen, and what kind of results they produce.

"This batch of new wizards, well, the strong are too strong, and the weak are too weak," Wizard Lando said with a yawn. "It's not very interesting, nothing exciting to see."

The Windwalker Wizard also said, "We're still in the elimination phase, weeding out some of the weaker new students. The remaining students will eventually meet each other. The more Dark Medals one possesses, the wider the information fluctuations they emit."

"It's like a large, fleshy piece of meat, attracting other predators, but the meat itself has powerful predator guardians," Kazeantun suddenly interjected, his eyes gleaming with a predatory glint in his eyes, and said with a smile, "So, who do you all think will be the final predator in the Corrupted Forest Secret Realm?"

The atmosphere was somewhat tense, as the two sides belonged to different factions.

But since the other party was ultimately an apprentice of a supreme wizard, the wizard Gusayi took the initiative to reply, "This will take time to confirm. Only predators who are strong enough, outstanding enough, and intelligent enough can stand in the end."

Lando the wizard exclaimed, "Wow, this is going to be interesting! The little guy we chose is about to run into some other wizards. No, not just one, another new wizard is coming from another direction. Three against one, tsk tsk tsk, this is going to be very interesting!"

The conversation between the ancient Sai wizard Kazeantun was interrupted, and everyone turned their attention to him.

The former was filled with anticipation. The latter was driven by curiosity and a desire to investigate, wanting to assess the strength of this contingent from the same school of thought and whether it would pose a threat to the Wizarding Family Alliance's plans.

(End of this chapter)