The Wizard's Pursuit of Truth
Chapter 34: A Looming Crisis and Entangled Interests

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: A Looming Crisis and Entangled Interests

The Wizard Mutual Aid Association was successfully established, with Mosi as its Chairman and the blue-haired young man, Kadi Purple Gold Flower, as its Vice-Chairman.

Anna was only given the position of Executive Chairman, tasked with assisting in the association’s management, organizing events, and gathering members. In terms of decision-making, her power was severely curtailed.

Anna was deeply unhappy about this. She had argued endlessly and endured countless hardships to establish the Wizard Mutual Aid Association in the first place.

On the stage, Kadi Purple Gold Flower was explaining the main purpose of the Wizard Mutual Aid Association.

It would collect everyone’s information for unified management and provide timely aid in times of danger.

Furthermore, several of the Wizard Clans would distribute Extraordinary Resources to every member from time to time. As for when, no exact dates were given.

This news still sparked excitement and joy among the Wizard Freshmen, especially those who had arrived on the same boat as Rafael. ’The benefits and resources Anna talked about are actually real!’

In a corner below the stage.

Mosi looked at Anna gently, a hint of apology on his face. "I’m sorry, Anna. This wasn’t my decision. Some of the elders from the Bailin Clan arranged it this way. The resources supplied to the Wizard Mutual Aid Association are in their hands."

Anna’s expression froze, but the anger in her heart didn’t subside. She bit her lower lip.

Mosi added, "The man speaking on stage is a member of the Direct Lineage of the Purple Gold Flower Clan, one of the Three Great Wizard Clans."

Anna deflated like a popped balloon and fell silent. Mosi maintained his gentle smile. "It’s alright. You still have me, don’t you?"

Hesitation flickered across her face, but she eventually nodded.

’What a foolish woman,’ Mosi thought, a hint of mockery in the depths of his eyes even as his expression remained unfailingly gentle. "Anna, you truly are so tender."

A faint blush appeared on Anna’s cheeks, a perfect picture of touched shyness.

The night was deep, without a single star to adorn the curtain-like sky. Ancient Forest Mountain was shrouded in silence, with only a faint light in the darkness illuminating a cobblestone path.

"We don’t need to worry about Wizard Yi Si. As long as we abide by the rules, no one can interfere with us. Currently, among the freshmen on Ancient Forest Mountain with top-tier Wizard Qualification, about ten have clearly agreed to sign contracts with the clans."

Mosi Bailin and Kadi Purple Gold Flower spoke as they walked.

"The number of special targets I’ve handled has reached about ten. Should we continue...?" Kadi Purple Gold Flower asked.

A cold sneer touched Mosi’s lips. "Continue. It’s an honor for these islanders to receive the goodwill of our Three Great Wizard Clans. If they agree, they get a ticket. If they don’t, they die. It’s that simple."

Kadi Purple Gold Flower hesitated. "But we’ve already disposed of thirty-eight freshmen. Any more, and even if Wizard Yi Si keeps insisting on his rules, there’s no guarantee something unexpected won’t happen."

Mosi shook his head, a disappointed look on his face. "Kadi, you’re far too timid compared to your older brother. It’s not just commoner freshmen who have gone missing. Haven’t freshmen from our own Wizard Clans disappeared as well? And it’s not only those who attended the welcome party; even more of those who didn’t have vanished."

"We’ve given Wizard Yi Si enough face on the surface, and behind the scenes, we’ve also compromised by kicking out some of our own clan’s freshmen to reduce competition for the tickets. What more could he be dissatisfied about? The rules are still in place, and no one has broken them."

Kadi Purple Gold Flower’s expression stiffened, as if he hated hearing the words "older brother." Scowling, he continued, "But our previous methods no longer work. There aren’t that many fools left to be lured out of Ancient Forest Mountain. Any trust built during the welcome party has vanished in the face of this crisis. It’s not just our targets with top-tier Wizard Qualification; even most of the ordinary freshmen are holing up in their Wizard’s Residences."

"They still haven’t given a response?" Mosi’s eyes turned cold.

"No response, but they haven’t leaked what’s happening, either."

"Smart of them. In Ancient Forest Wizard City, our Wizard Clans are the law. Even on Ancient Forest Mountain, we have ways to ensure they die without a grave."

In fact, a top-qualified freshman had previously informed the wizards at the Ancient Forest Pavilion anonymously. But their report vanished without a trace. On the contrary, the anonymous informant was identified and subsequently disappeared.

This was why the many top-qualified freshmen were so fearful and wary. No one wanted to have a complete falling out with Mosi and the Wizard Clan behind him. The Wizard Contracts they were offered were also extremely harsh, essentially forcing them to slave away for the Wizard Clan for the better part of their lives.

Wizard Yi Si’s rules had now become their protective talisman. Ten days of peace had given them a glimmer of hope: if they could just finish their Witchcraft courses quickly, they could get their tickets and leave this godforsaken place. By a strange twist of fate, some Wizard Freshmen had discovered the books on Extraordinary Foundation on the shelves. While they kept the discovery to themselves, they were frustrated to the point of tears.

The key had been hidden right under their noses the whole time. If they had found it sooner, they wouldn’t have had to endure all this fear. Here on Ancient Forest Mountain, the Wizard Clans’ influence couldn’t reach. With their Wizard Qualification and a bit of hard work, they could have easily passed the assessment and gotten their tickets. ’We wasted a whole twenty days for nothing...’ But regrets couldn’t change a thing.

"What’s our next move?" Kadi asked. Everything they were doing was to expand the power of their Wizard Clans and establish a foothold in the Dark Land. As for the tickets, the freshmen from the Wizard Clans never had to worry about such things.

For those who chose the path of Extraordinary Cultivation, nurturing their creature required more than just Particle Energy and a Consciousness Brand—the supply of Extraordinary Resources was paramount. With enough resources, one could surpass two or three months of an Island Wizard Apprentice’s hard work in just a few short days.

The backing of their clans was their greatest advantage. How could mere islanders possibly compete with them, the descendants of Wizard Clans with such long legacies?

"Kill!" Mosi spat out a single, sharp word.

Kadi’s pupils constricted. "More killing? There aren’t many top-qualified freshmen left." If they were on the mainland, they wouldn’t dare pull something like this. There was always a chance of running into a freshman with a powerful background. There, they would have to follow the actual rules and never act so recklessly. If they did, they would likely become the targets themselves.

Ancient Forest Wizard City was a port town—a relatively remote one, at that—which primarily dealt with the various island continents of the Endless Sea. Naturally, the freshmen from those islands had no powerful backing.

Mosi smiled coldly, baring a set of neat, menacing teeth. "It’s precisely because there are so few left that we have to force them to sign the Wizard Contracts. Everyone in our clans is watching us. We have to do this flawlessly if we want to receive more support and Extraordinary Resources at the Dark Wizard Academy."

A shadow fell over his handsome features. "The Antuun Clan has already grown strong enough to move to the mainland and has even established connections with the ancient Wizard Clans there. They left a branch behind just to placate us and no longer even participate in some of our three-clan joint operations."

"But even that branch is still on par with us—they might even be surpassing us. Can you accept that? A descendant from a mere branch clan is our equal, and he even got into the Dark Wizard Academy before we did."

Kadi Purple Gold Flower took a deep breath. Of course, he couldn’t accept it. No one knew what kind of opportunity the Antuun Clan had seized to achieve such growth, even producing an Extreme Wizard Apprentice.

"We’ll round them all up. Not a single one gets away." The two finally reached an agreement. The more power their clans wielded in the Dark Land, the more support and advantages they would receive.

Mosi frowned as he brought up a potential issue. "Wizard Yi Si was sent here from the Dark Land to be our administrator. We still haven’t managed to investigate his origins, but he’s only a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice. He must be pretty down on his luck to end up in a backwater place like this. I doubt he has any significant background."

"Since they won’t come out, we’ll go on the offensive. We’ll send some people in to kill a few and make an example of them."

"You want to kill people on Ancient Forest Mountain? Are you insane? Wizard Yi Si isn’t joking around. Those ice-cold eyes hold a barely restrained killing intent," Kadi exclaimed.

Mosi shook his head. "I’m not that foolish. You and I definitely can’t break the rules, but that doesn’t mean others can’t."

Kadi’s eyes lit up. "You mean, we distance ourselves from it and let our clans handle it? They can use covert means to hire some Wizard Slayers to enter Ancient Forest Mountain and do the job."

A smile spread across Mosi’s face as he nodded.

"That way, even if Wizard Yi Si investigates, he’ll only trace it back to some people on the black market. After passing through so many intermediaries, there’s no way it could ever be linked back to us."

"Exactly! But the top-qualified freshmen are too useful to the clans. Just have the Wizard Slayers take care of a few Low-tier freshmen on the Witch Array paths or in their Wizard’s Residences," Mosi said nonchalantly. "We just need to give them another little scare, and those islanders will fall in line."

Kadi nodded in agreement, adding a reminder, "To be safe, we should try to pick off the reclusive freshmen, the ones who don’t have many friends. It would be best if they’re the type to stay in their Wizard’s Residence for days on end."

Mosi smiled. "But of course!"