Chapter 58 - 57: Malice, Come to Our Side

As they passed through the streets of the Business District, everyone was captivated by the bustling scene. Shops selling all kinds of Extraordinary Resources were everywhere, and there was no shortage of places for entertainment and leisure, such as Wizard Mansions and Wizard Taverns. Wizard Yi Si must have wanted them to familiarize themselves with the Dark Land’s environment as quickly as possible.

And this didn’t even include the Free Zone in the outer regions, which was even more vast.

Wang Ya was astonished. From what he had seen so far, the trade district of Hanhai Wizard City couldn’t even compare to half of the Dark Wizard Lower House.

’Just how big is the Dark Land?!’

The thought surfaced in Wang Ya’s mind.

This was just the tip of the iceberg. He glanced at the distant specks of towers that seemed to reach for the sky, so far away they were almost a blur.

Each of those specks was said to be a Wizard Tower belonging to an Official Wizard. They also served as the branch jurisdictions for the Dark Land, each maintaining order in dozens of Wizard Cities similar to Hanhai Wizard City.

Two days after entering the Dark Wizard Academy, this question still remained unanswered.

Wang Ya, however, had become much more familiar with the environment of the Lower House.

Clean, ivory-white jade pathways stretched into the distance, flanked on both sides by lush greenery with buildings interspersed throughout.

It took at least seven or eight minutes to walk through this verdant park. From there, paths led toward the different areas of the Lower House: the automated cafeteria, the Garden Secret Realm, the instructional buildings, the administration building, and the student manors.

Of course, freshmen with the resources would choose to purchase a Wizard’s Residence in the Business District or Free Zone, complete with a personal laboratory and a cultivation garden. Wang Ya had the same idea. ’The Wizard Mansions are too basic; they’re inconvenient for everything.’

Dressed in the standard-issue black Wizard Robe with the emblem of the Dark Land on the chest, Wang Ya walked out of the park of vines and trees, confidently turning onto another wide pathway.

He wasn’t the only one heading toward the instructional building complex; a stream of other Wizard Freshmen emerged behind him. The general assembly for all new students was about to be held in the academy plaza.

Freshmen selected from the various frosh camps—Ancient Forest Mountain, Luomen Island, the Lost Land, Bai Mu Ridge, and more—would all be attending.

The administrative Wizards of the Lower House would announce the various rules: how to pursue advanced studies, the content of the assessments, the conditions for completion, and most importantly, matters concerning the choice of one’s Wizard Path.

In the academy plaza, figures in Wizard Robes had already formed distinct groups, with clear gaps separating one from the next.

When Wang Ya arrived, he was taken aback for a moment by the scene.

"Wang Ya! Over here, over here!" a familiar voice called out. It was Gray, jumping up and down in the crowd and waving at him.

His boisterous tone caused many of the other Wizard Freshmen to frown and shoot cold glances in their direction.

Mona and Mas were also in that cluster of Wizard Freshmen. Wang Ya understood immediately. ’These are different cliques. The freshmen from Ancient Forest Mountain are subconsciously sticking together.’

The Wizard Freshmen from the other frosh camps were naturally doing the same.

’This situation will probably only end once the freshmen have fully integrated into the Dark Wizard Academy.’

The Wizard Freshmen from Ancient Forest Mountain looked uneasy when they saw Wang Ya arrive.

This reaction drew a number of gazes from across the plaza, all filled with curiosity and scrutiny.

Anyone who could inspire such awe in freshmen from his own camp was clearly more than he seemed, despite his unremarkable appearance.

Many of the freshmen of common birth, who had outstanding aptitude and had passed the assessment to awaken their Wizard’s Heart, were already taking note of other, similarly powerful newcomers.

Their supervising Wizards had told them that entering the Dark Wizard Academy didn’t mean the end of competition. On the contrary, it would become even more intense and overt, especially when it came to the preferential allocation of resources and the opportunity to learn Extraordinary Knowledge.

And within these circles were even smaller circles.

The freshmen from the Wizard Clans deliberately kept their distance from the others. Their expressions were unreadable, but their eyes were full of unspoken meaning.

As if on cue, some of the Wizard Clan freshmen began to speak loudly. "You must be that lucky bunch from Ancient Forest Mountain. Got real lucky, didn’t you? All of you exempted from the assessment and admitted directly into the academy. It’s nothing to be proud of. The elimination system will weed you all out, one by one."

"Even if you manage to hang on, you’ll never be able to complete the quota missions when they’re assigned. Just admit it, you cheaters. It’s disgusting just standing here with you."

The clan freshmen obviously knew more, and the information they revealed immediately caused an uproar among the other wizards.

’Wizard Freshmen who got in through the back door?’

’They didn’t even follow the admission rules? And a whole group of them got in through connections!’

The crowd’s gazes immediately changed, now filled with anger. Everyone was frowning.

The sense of disgust, though subtle, was palpable to the sharp senses of a Wizard.

The freshmen from Ancient Forest Mountain felt as if they were being roasted over a fire, growing extremely tense and uncomfortable.

The gazes of the others felt like knives scraping their skin. They had become the outcasts of the freshman class.

They had no way to refute it; it was, after all, the truth.

They had entered the Dark Land without going through the assessment.

Gray, however, was still grinning, showing no reaction.

Mona, on the other hand, was fuming with anger.

Mas clenched his fists, his face flushed red. He stammered, wanting to say something but not knowing how.

The reactions of the other freshmen from their group were much the same.

Wang Ya’s expression remained calm, his eyes betraying no emotion. ’To be swayed by the words of others, to deny oneself... that is not the mark of a true Wizard. Such a person does not yet possess a complete Wizard’s Heart.’

’Whatever path you choose, you must have the ability and courage to bear all the consequences.’

’The rules at Ancient Forest Mountain were nullified, as was the assessment. We chose to enter the Dark Land, so it’s only natural that we bear the price of these stares.’

’People who follow the rules and work hard can never stand to see others who didn’t put in the same effort gain the same qualifications.’

A tall clan freshman with a buzz cut and a freckled face suddenly pointed at Wang Ya. "Wang Ya Harak," he said, "you’re different from the others from Ancient Forest Mountain. The fact that you could kill more than half of the Wizard Freshmen in your batch is proof enough of your Ability."

"Come stand with us," the buzz-cut youth, Mengta, said, extending his right hand in an inviting gesture. "These cheaters aren’t worthy of standing with you."

The moment he said this, the crowd of freshmen erupted, their gazes fixed on Wang Ya, full of shock and alarm.

As for the freshmen from Ancient Forest Mountain, their expressions grew even more grim.

Wang Ya’s gaze was utterly cold.

’The malice of this buzz-cut youth was well hidden, but it’s been exposed now.’

’So, this is the price of dealing with the Wizard Clans!’

...