Wizards pursue the truth

A mature woman in a light blue wizard's robe sat upright on the sofa, her hands on her thighs, staring blankly at the white-haired young wizard with her clear eyes.

Her dark eyes also became dazed, as if she had traveled through time and returned to the past, to the time when she was still young and naive; the first gathering, the second gathering, the third gathering. She looked at them all the time.

Wang Ya's eyes gradually cleared. Looking at the fair and tender face in front of her, there were still faint traces of wrinkles, but they were not obvious. Only the light in her eyes had more of the traces of time.

"Mona, how have you been lately?"

He finally broke the silence and asked.

Mona's rosy lips moved slightly, and she took a deep breath. Her voice trembled a little. "Fortunately, I've always lived within the family, studied the path of wizardry, and even minored in plant science, cultivating quite a few magical plants."

"My family has helped me a lot, allowing me to cultivate without any worries. I have also moved the small shop I opened in the Dark Land to the Heart of Conquest, which is in the Upper Academy commercial district. The location is a bit remote, so not many people come here."

Mona spoke at length, her dark blue eyes fixed on the white-haired young wizard. Her tone was very gentle, as if she were afraid of disturbing something and was very worried about his facial expression, even if he frowned even once.

Fortunately, there was none of that. She saw no frown, no impatience; only a stunned expression on his face; those black eyes, as mysterious, unknown, and profound as the starry sky. For the first time, he looked at her with unwavering seriousness, meeting her gaze with unprecedented earnestness.

"Is this Harak General Store?"

Mona did not answer, but silently placed the black metal token she was holding in her hands, which carried Wang Ya's aura and had the inscription on it, on the table, and pushed the black token over. The shop owner's name was still written as "Mona Anton".

Mona Antun cautiously extended the invitation, "It's on the commercial street. I can take you there; it's not far, just a short walk."

Wang Ya-Halak fell silent. Emotions that had not been stirred for many years, as well as the calmness in his mind, were slightly disturbed.

He exhaled a long breath and revealed a calm smile.

"Can."

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The extraordinary fluctuations generated by the enveloping magic array and the combination of circuit spells of the Heart of Conquest headquarters are much smaller than in the past; the process of high-temperature plasma energy melting ice and snow and the icy spirits of the body is no longer as frequent.

The blizzard season is finally entering its later stages, weakening and about to pass. Some snowflakes are quite cold, even allowing them to enter the magic array; however, the cold is not yet sufficient to allow the spirit of the wind and snow to condense and solidify.

The hexagonal ice crystals covered the uneven buildings with a thick layer of white frost; the same was true on the streets of the commercial district, where the figures of solitary wizards walked, leaving clear footprints in the snow.

Two unusual figures walked on the snow, but left no footprints, as if they were walking in another space, another world.

The other wizards who came and went naturally did not notice their presence.

A female wizard in a blue robe is pointing at some buildings on the street, telling their stories and the wizards behind them.

The white-haired youth in the black wizard's robe listened silently, also taking the other's body under the control of the void layer.

No matter how long a road is, it will eventually come to an end; this is unavoidable.

The same applies to commercial streets.

At the end of the commercial street, there is one last shop.

This shop is not as tall or unique as other buildings, and the magic circle path is not fixed within it, maintaining an ancient feel of bygone years.

The wind chimes at the entrance are tied to the end of long, ribbon-like ropes; one can imagine the crisp sound they make as people come and go.

The gate was tightly closed, and a sign saying "Closed" was displayed above it.

As for when it will open, that may depend on the owner's mood.

In fact, this small shop doesn't have much business to begin with. Closing it for a day, two days, or even half a month makes no difference; there are better and more convenient shops that can sell more comprehensive and precious extraordinary supplies.

It also doesn't have many loyal customers.

Even the shop's employees are from many years ago.

Many wizards who have patronized this shop are amazed by its long history when they happen to pass by, as if it has existed all along.

The shop owner is still there as well.

Every year I come to the shop and stay for a period of time, opening and waiting, seemingly not with the goal of selling anything, but just wanting it to stay open.

The young wizard in black robes and white hair looked at the name above the shop: "Harak General Store".

Memories of the past come flooding back once again.

He said, "Mona, this is unnecessary."

Mona Antun said, "I think it's necessary."

Wang Ya: "."

"You should know, you should have known from the beginning." Wang Ya's tone became slightly stiff.

Mona's expression remained unchanged. "I know, but I don't regret it. I just wanted to do it this way."

Do you know your current situation?

Wang Ya narrowed his eyes.

Mona smiled. "You're about to die, aren't you? But I still don't regret it. Gathering true spirit doesn't mean much. If I had failed, I might not be standing in front of you today."

"At least, now I'm standing in front of you."

long silence.

Wang Ya said, "Is it worth it? Gathering a true spirit shouldn't require this much effort. You've also expended energy to maintain your life form from the beginning, which has put you under strain and you're barely holding on."

Changing one's physical appearance is simple, but maintaining changes in the soul, spirit, and body is extremely difficult.

This is also because Matthew is old and frail.

Mona's voice was soft, but with an unprecedented firmness: "It's worth it, I think it's worth it."

"I won't gamble on that probability. Even if the chance of success is high, there's still a possibility of failure."

"Is that so?" Wang Ya fumbled for the metal token in his palm, looked at the distant sky, and sighed, "Everyone has their own choices. You should know that my choices have never been in the same place, nor have they been under my feet."

"I won't give you everything you've been hoping for or want."

Mona didn't speak; she remained silent.

"If you still have the will, I'm willing to give you another chance to become a formal wizard and condense your true spirit; the Anton family also needs a formal wizard."

"What is the price?" Mona asked.

Wang Ya's eyes flickered, and his lips moved slightly. "Let's close this shop."

Chi Chi!

High-temperature plasma gathered in the palm of the hand, and the black, restrained flames burned the metal token to ashes.

Mona was pale and swaying, her eyes were red and her lips were pursed, as if she was about to collapse at any moment, but she held on.

"Many people have walked this road, and some have even walked it together. Some people might stop because of this, but I won't."

Wang Ya let his right hand hang casually, speaking in a relaxed tone, "This road is still very long, and we will encounter many more things and a wider world; those on this road should do their best to keep going, because any distraction or hesitation will lead to losing the right path."

"The future may not be bright, it may just be a mirage on the road ahead; but to be trapped in the past and in memories is nothing more than trying to find a lost sword by marking the boat in the long river of time."

The Nightmare Wizard stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes shining brightly, and said in a deep voice, "Mona, the path is right under your feet, right ahead. Gather your true spirit, and you will find the right way."

A female wizard in a light blue robe pushed open the shop door, turned back and smiled at the black-robed wizard, "Want to come in and have a look?"

Wang Ya: "."

The two strolled through the shop, and the layout and environment were exactly the same as the small shop in the Dark Land they had once been in. Even the names of the items for sale and the location of the labels were perfectly replicated.

There was a thin layer of dust on the counter. Mona bent down, blew on it, opened the drawer, and took out the contents.

It was an account book that recorded all the bills and transactions of Harak Grocery Store from the Underdark to its current location in Heart of Conquest.

Mona handed it over, her eyes lowered.

Wang Ya silently accepted it, his brows furrowed slightly. How could he not see that his old friend had fallen into a pointless delusion, his wizard's heart tarnished, and he was doing all sorts of meaningless things?

If it were him, he would choose to gather his true spirit and continue forward, striving to reach the same level of progress. Staying in place, hoping and waiting for those ahead to stop, is ultimately just wishful thinking.

Break through the uncertainty of the true spirit and the possibility of failure.

Compared to the latter kind of anticipation, waiting is the most regrettable, helpless, and potentially more likely to fail choice.

Wang Ya felt it was necessary to remind some of his friends.

He gave Gagarin a chance, but Gagarin didn't seize it.

This also gave Matthew an opportunity, but he only seized half of it.

He would also give his old friend a chance.

Ultimately, it still depends on the person involved.

If the parties involved cannot move on, external forces will be futile.

Chi Chi!

The Nightmare Flame was contained to a very small area, and it burned the ledger again.

That's not all.

The entire Harak General Store was reduced to ashes under the shroud of the Nightmare Flame, leaving only a broken, empty void.

This is quite out of place in the commercial street, but because of its remote location, not many people have noticed it yet.

Wang Ya had no experience in this area. He only thought that if he could shatter all of Mona's illusions, he might be able to unleash her inner potential and rekindle her fighting spirit.

Have the determination and perseverance to gather the true spirit.

According to the rules, the Legendary Blood Potion needs to be exchanged for Cataclysm Points. As a member of the Nightmare Cataclysm, Mona has not completed many missions and has relatively few Cataclysm Points, making it seem like she has no chance of exchanging for a Legendary Blood Potion.

The Nightmare Wizard is willing to lend some of his Calamity Points so that he can exchange them for the Legendary Blood Potion to break through to become a formal wizard.

A cold wind blew, ruffling their hair. Their eyes met; the woman in the blue wizard's robe had tears welling up in her watery eyes, which streamed down her cheeks and dripped onto the ground, where they melted upon contact with a hexagonal ice crystal snowflake and mingled with the snow.

"I don't want to forget, I don't want to let go, I don't want to destroy this beautiful memory."

Her sorrow, as poignant as a cuckoo weeping blood, was expressed in a heart-wrenching cry.

"Mona Anton could never reach the heights of the Nightmare Archmage. She could not achieve it even if she spent her entire life on it. She could only watch his back as he walked further and further away until she could no longer see him."

"But Mona Anton also has her own principles. Once she has made up her mind, she will never change it. If she can't do it in one lifetime, she will do it for thousands of lifetimes, overlapping her life with that of the Nightmare Wizard."

Mona rushed over, opened her arms, and hugged the Nightmare Wizard, tears streaming down her face, soaking their clothes.

Wang Ya was stunned, her hands pressed tightly against her legs, somewhat at a loss.

Holding her figure, the traces of time flowed rapidly over her, wrinkles filled her beautiful face, her full body became thin and bony, until she was old and frail with white hair; a cold wind blew by, and she crumbled into ashes, mingling into the void, but white particles appeared in the surrounding void, these special particles were formed by the spirit, consciousness and soul of Mona Anton.

Wang Ya sensed something, his expression complex. He closed his eyes, even though he could annihilate these white particle lights with a mere thought, but he didn't do so, and instead endured it.

He received this blessing from his old friend, Mona Anton.

A sorcery that studies the nature of self-resentful spirits and how to convert one's own particle energy into attribute-free energy, using the spirit and soul as fuel to burn oneself to provide growth for the target's spiritual power.

Even though Mona burned herself out completely, it might not be enough to increase Wang Ya's mental strength by even 1 point, but he felt his mental consciousness was undergoing a huge shock.

His previously dormant spiritual power flowed through every corner of his body, squeezing out the residual effects of the legendary potion and providing impetus to continuously increase his spiritual power level.

Current mental strength: 170

The data from the Eye of Truth has begun to change.

[Gained the effects of a legendary potion, increasing Spirit Power by 0.9]

[Gained the effects of a legendary potion, increasing Spirit Power by 1.2]

[Gained the effects of a legendary potion, increasing Spirit Power by 1]

[Gained the continuous buff of 'Mona Anton's' Self-Burn Effect, Spirit Power +0.03]

[Upgrade complete. Current mental strength: 179]

Wang Ya opened his eyes and looked at the vaguely appearing soul of Mona behind him, her arms outstretched and resting on his shoulders; judging from the color of the soul, it was not much different from the vengeful spirits he had encountered in the Dark Lands.

However, the essence of the aura is different, which suggests that Mona modified it, forming a specific kind of witchcraft.

The vengeful spirit's inherent nature allows it to continue absorbing other souls and spirits to enhance itself; furthermore, by burning its own vengeful spirit self, it provides Wang Ya with a boost in spiritual power.

Essentially, it's like artificially creating a passive device that enhances mental power.

As long as there is enough soul energy to absorb and burn, the improvement of one's spiritual power will continue indefinitely and will not stagnate.

This is also a way to bypass the limitations of the legendary path, rather than using supernatural resources that require consumption.

Wang Ya opened his mouth, as if to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.

He sighed. Although the nature of the vengeful spirit could make Mona's soul immortal, her consciousness and memories would disappear as she burned away, and in the end, she would become nothing more than a tool.

Looking at the soul's infatuated gaze, at the target it was embracing, its eyes were filled with tenderness.

Wang Ya's lips were a little dry.

Perhaps Mona had already foreseen this, and it didn't matter anymore that she became a tool to enhance her mental strength.

"This kind of eternal companionship will forever remain in the past."

Wang Ya stretched out his palm and caught a snowflake. The spirit behind him also stretched out its hand, overlapping it with his own, as if the two were shaking hands.

"Mona, your research over the years has truly given me a pleasant surprise."

Wang Ya had a related inspiration: to start with vengeful spirits to improve his mental strength. Inside the white mist area, there were a huge number of level three and even level four soul entities. If he used them as firewood, he might be able to advance to the Radiant Moon Wizard without having to worry about improving his mental strength.

Even the legendary series of potions couldn't stop him.

"But I don't want to carry a spirit on my back like this, Mona. Before you do this, you should ask for my opinion. I'm not going to make you burn yourself to sacrifice yourself in exchange for an increase in spiritual power."

Ordinary people may not be able to see it, but as long as one's mental strength is strong enough, extraordinary individuals can see it.

Before Wang Ya could sense the strange wizard approaching, he vanished into the void.

"What happened here? How did a huge hole suddenly appear?"

"I remember there used to be a shop here called Harak Grocery Store, but it's gone, as if it was wiped out of thin air."

"We must immediately inform the law enforcement wizard and the official wizard; something terrible has happened."

*

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Conquer the interior of the tower.

Wang Ya sat in a chair and took out a black and white mirror from thin air.

——Nightmare Annihilation Mirror.

A powerful attraction arose from the white side, directly pulling Mona's soul, which was attached to him, into the mirror.

Soon, Mona's face appeared on the white mirror, facing Wang Ya.

Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere was unusually awkward.

Mona seemed a little stunned, as if she hadn't quite reacted yet.

Upon realizing what had happened, her face flushed crimson, and she lowered her head; Mona's face in the mirror also disappeared.

[Note: The Nightmare Annihilation Mirror is currently fusing with a 'spiritual consciousness and soul life form,' expected to be completed within six months to a year; the target will become indistinguishable from the Nightmare Annihilation Mirror, forming a unique magical artifact spirit; as the mirror grows, the target's spiritual consciousness and soul essence will grow in tandem, becoming a special magical artifact life wizard; new and unknown extraordinary characteristics may be added.]

The Nightmare Annihilation Mirror remains the Nightmare Annihilation Mirror and will be under Wang Ya's absolute control.

However, after fusion, it will become a special magical artifact.

Similar to Harak's biological device, but with fundamental differences.

The potential will increase, that's for sure.

The magical artifacts are now crafted from the original materials, with enhanced rune and spell circuits, and improved through the cultivation system of the wizard's true spirit, no longer limited by conventional methods.

Mona will train within it, accelerating the growth of the Nightmare Mirror.

However, we'll have to wait until the Nightmare Mirror undergoes its transformation to find out what kind of extraordinary characteristics it will possess.

Wang Ya put the Nightmare Annihilation Mirror back into the void, and only after looking at the empty space behind him did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Not everyone can handle being haunted by a spirit.

He absolutely does not need it.

Time flies, and a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

P.S.: All the necessary character introductions have been given, and no romance has been written, so this is the only way to handle it; the groundwork has been laid, it's time to fight the Pale Hand, the Frostland will end soon, and we'll enter the Starry Sky. Also, 11,000 words updated today.