The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth
Chapter 14: Underwater Exploration, Extraordinary Poison

Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Underwater Exploration, Extraordinary Poison

Late at night.

"Anna, open the door! What’s wrong with you?"

Having hastily cleaned himself up, a frantic Arthur rushed to knock on Anna’s door.

He was wrapped in a long black robe, his hood pulled down tightly.

As Arthur knocked, his eyes darted around, as if searching for any trace of the other Wizard Freshmen.

The wounds on his body had been given first aid, and he was out of danger. A large patch of his scalp, which extended down his face, was missing. The resulting scabs only made him look more grotesque.

Leaning against the door with his head lowered, Arthur waited for a response that never came. His mood grew increasingly panicked, turning to anxiety and irritation. It seemed he might burst in at any moment.

Finally, though the door remained closed, Anna’s cold voice came from within. "Arthur, I think we need to have a serious talk."

"Anna, as long as you’re willing to talk to me, to see me, that’s all that matters! I’ll do anything you want."

Arthur replied hastily, pressing his cheek against the door as if trying to hear more of her voice.

This was definitely not the same arrogant Arthur who once held his chin high.

Countless freshmen from the Wizard mixer would have been stunned to see him like this.

"That’s enough, Arthur. Go back for now. I’m not feeling well tonight. Let’s talk on the deck the night after tomorrow."

Anna’s voice was laced with a hint of impatience.

Arthur, apparently oblivious, forced a smile. "Okay, then I won’t disturb your rest. Make sure you take care of yourself."

.....

Although the automated cafeteria was out of commission, the cold storage still had plenty of ice.

Wang Ya estimated that the ice he had moved to his room would be lucky to last seven days before completely melting.

’I can only take this one step at a time,’ Wang Ya thought. He desperately wanted a Witchcraft Artifact for storage; otherwise, things wouldn’t be this troublesome.

Harak tapped cautiously at the window with its sharp beak. After Wang Ya let it in, it dropped what it was holding in its mouth.

Several fresh White-scaled Fish flopped around on the floor, still very much alive.

The incident with the Thorny Sea Beast had killed many Wizard Freshmen, freeing up a large number of rooms.

The Tuta Wizard didn’t bother with such trivial matters, so Wang Ya had found a clean, undamaged room to live in.

"Nice work, little guy. It seems that bit of Spiritual Power wasn’t for nothing."

Patting Harak’s head, Wang Ya found some water and quickly prepared the fish for a late-night meal.

At this moment, the other Wizard Freshmen were probably enduring the long night, starving.

The new rules would be implemented tomorrow. There wasn’t a single scrap of food in the automated cafeteria, though, of course, some freshmen were willing to gnaw on ice to get through the night.

Starting a fire wasn’t difficult. The room had a long-unused fireplace. He arranged a few logs outside of it and lit them.

He skewered the White-scaled Fish with a fork. Wang Ya’s fish-grilling skills were not bad; he remembered the last time he’d done this was back in his mortal days, secretly roasting one in the Royal Palace...

SIZZLE... As the flames burned, he seemed to recall something, his eyes reflecting the fire as he stared blankly for a moment.

He quickly snapped out of it and took out the wooden box from the inner lining of his clothes. He caressed it, silently grilling his fish.

CRASH!

A huge wave surged dozens of meters high. The commotion from the Wizard Ship coming to a halt was immense. Driven by the pressure of internal gears and steam, the ship’s hull began to transform. One side started to tilt down into the water, creating a smooth ramp from the deck into the Endless Sea. This ramp, with its steps and curve, also allowed for an easy return to the Wizard Ship.

On the first day of the new rules, all the Wizard Freshmen stood on deck, their expressions eager. More than anything, they were driven by a craving for food.

Although the Tuta Wizard was nowhere to be seen, everyone abided by the new rule.

Particle Energy gave the freshmen a Physique that surpassed mortals. The question of whether they could swim was a moot point; with their powerful Spiritual Power, they could master their Balance, learn to float, and control their breathing very, very quickly.

Every single Wizard Freshman was comparable to a mortal at their peak physical condition.

SPLASH!

Finally, the first Wizard Freshman tentatively entered the water. For the first minute, they were a bit clumsy, but soon they were moving like a fish, swimming and diving with ease.

One by one, the other Wizard Freshmen followed suit. A few lucky ones even managed to catch several fish right away.

The amount of food they would be allotted depended on the size of their catch.

Of course, this rule was flexible; they didn’t necessarily have to hand their food over to the automated cafeteria.

But expecting Wizard Freshmen to be able to cook and prepare their own food... the vast majority would probably just obediently hand their catch over to the automated cafeteria system.

"I wonder if I’ll be able to catch enough food for me and my Kebik."

As he entered the water, Gray’s expression was still miserable. He held a Steel Fork in his hand, his hair as messy as ever.

Wang Ya gave him a slight nod of encouragement before diving into the sea himself.

Hunting for the food he needed was simple enough for him; he was more interested in seeing the life within the Endless Sea.

’Wizards always possess a cautious curiosity.’

He hadn’t really had a chance to observe the Endless Sea before, partly because the Wizard Ship was always moving, and partly because he had been focused on studying Wizardry.

With the Tuta Wizard presiding over the ship, no particularly powerful Sea Beasts were likely to appear within a hundred-meter, or perhaps even a thousand-meter, radius. This was a good opportunity.

This area of the sea was exceptionally clear. He could see the creatures swimming in the water just by opening his eyes.

There were herbivorous Sea Beasts covered in hard shells, blue, kelp-like jellyfish that occasionally swam around him, and schools of small fish with peculiar little wings that would approach and then dart away... A faint blue light flickered in Wang Ya’s pupils as he recorded the data on each one. None were Extraordinary Creatures, none posed a threat, and they would even be a bit pathetic as a source of food.

Wang Ya could withstand about ten times more water pressure than an ordinary mortal.

He dove to a depth of sixty meters. The water pressure was slightly taxing on Wang Ya, but not overly difficult. The surrounding light and visibility grew dimmer. Looking up, the faint arc of light filtering through the rippling surface of the sea looked dreamlike, like a glimmer of hope being chased.

The marine life around him grew larger and their senses sharper. Upon detecting the aura of Particle Energy on him, they spontaneously kept their distance.

He descended another twenty meters, reaching a depth of eighty meters. The visibility here was almost murky, and looking up, the light from the surface had grown faint.

Suddenly, Wang Ya seemed to have discovered something. He focused his gaze and saw palm-sized, reddish fish swimming about leisurely.

[Hint: Extraordinary Properties detected. Analysis complete: ’Red-Scaled Giant Fish.’ A creature between an Extraordinary Creature and a normal one. Its teeth contain a small amount of Extraordinary Poison, which can cause significant harm to Low-tier Wizards.]

A glint appeared in Wang Ya’s eyes. ’This could work...’