What a Joke—It Was Him!

Wizard Yis looked down from above, suspended in the air by some unknowable means. Cube Metal floated over his right hand, wrapped in crackling currents that transformed it into tiny metal bodies. They scattered throughout the Bailin Family grounds and embedded themselves along the boundaries.

The next moment, powerful Particle Energy formed an invisible, intangible force field, cutting off the Bailin Family's territory from Ancient Forest Wizard City.

Wizard Yis's gaze remained indifferent. He lightly pressed his right hand against the empty air before him, and white matter rapidly proliferated, like some unknown colony parasitizing the void, drawing in nutrients as it grew. Terrifying, restrained Energy Fluctuations radiated outward. Night insects within the shrouded area suddenly developed startling patches of white matter, their bodies being assimilated.

Then came the plants, the walls and floors of buildings, all sprouting white spots. The same phenomenon occurred throughout the Bailin Family grounds.

Children played and chased one another in the Bailin Family's Inner City, unaware as they stepped over floors sprouting white spots and touched the walls with their hands.

The Bailin Family's ordinary people toiled bitterly, offering up the only value they possessed to the Wizard lords, diligently earning meager rewards. There was still light in their eyes—the hope that their children might test positive for good Wizard Aptitude. None of them noticed the white spots appearing on their bodies.

A Wizard couple shared a tender moment in their courtyard. The wife held their newborn child while the husband teased the baby's cheek with a finger. The elderly member of their household was an ordinary person, sitting on the doorstep and watching them with a kindly smile—until white matter began to proliferate across his body. In an instant, he lost all life and turned into a numb, rigid white statue.

It was as though this were an omen. The Wizard couple, having noticed something was wrong, looked terrified. Everything in sight was sprouting white matter, spreading like ripples across water. The same symptoms appeared on their bodies. They could not resist; their Particle Energy was snuffed out by that dreadful force like candle flames.

As they turned into white statues, the only thing they could do was hold their child tightly at their sides, embracing each other.

"Not good! This Particle Energy Fluctuation is... a Limit Wizard Apprentice!" In the Bailin Family's most central area, within a grim and ancient building, an aged figure rose to his feet, his face filled with terror.

Judging by the aura emanating from him, he was clearly a Third-level Wizard Apprentice. He had detected the malice. White matter had invaded this building as well, swallowing and assimilating the walls, ceiling, and floor like a devouring serpent.

The aged body erupted with Particle Energy beyond its limits, but it only held the invasion back for a few seconds. He was too old, too weak. Even among Third-level Wizard Apprentices, he was not powerful.

From his fingers and arms to his limbs and torso, the white matter assimilated him. Even his flesh and blood vanished. At last, he let out a venomous roar: "Who exactly wants to destroy my Bailin Family? What crime has my Bailin Family committed? The Umbral Expanse will not let you get away with this!"

Wizard Gandhi, resting in another room, was equally horrified. At the sight of the white matter, he blurted out, "The White Bone School's Core Inheritance sorcery!"

He knew he had been exposed! A bitter smile appeared on his face before he was finally assimilated by endless bone matter.

Wizard Yis spread open his right palm. The tiny metal bodies rooted throughout the Bailin Family territory flew back and reassembled into their Cube Metal form.

Then he turned, merged into the void, and vanished.

Below, the Bailin Family's once splendid and imposing ancestral grounds had become a bizarre white world. Everything had been stained white. Upon closer inspection, it looked remarkably similar to bone matter.

Some ordinary people and Wizards discovered the situation. Even as shock filled them, terror showed on their faces, and they scrambled away from the area.

The heavens had changed!

A powerful Wizard—an unimaginably powerful Wizard—had taken action and exterminated the Bailin Family. If they were touched by even a trace of the radiation, they would die horribly.

The freshmen still on Ancient Forest Mountain naturally had no idea that such a huge event had occurred in the Wizard City at the mountain's foot.

They remained trapped in fear over the murders. More and more people had died, while the five Wizard lords were nowhere to be seen. The rules seemed to have become mere decorations.

Finally, at daybreak, a voice rang in their ears.

"Come to Ancient Forest Pavilion and see me!"

It was Wizard Yis's voice!

Wonderful! Wizard Yis had finally returned. Quite a few Wizard Freshmen even felt so overjoyed that they nearly wept.

Once again seated in the Ancient Forest Pavilion's conference hall, they looked around. The seats that had once been full were now sparse, with more than half the people missing.

Wang Ya's gaze fell upon the figure in the Brown Wizard Robe on the platform. Compared to last time, Wizard Yis wore a faint smile, and no longer appeared quite so gloomy and cold.

Wizard Fengxing and Wizard Lando stood to one side with their arms folded, the latter even letting out a yawn.

"I believe you all have many questions. Why did freshman deaths occur on Ancient Forest Mountain? Why did so many people die?" Wizard Yis spoke calmly. "I can tell you everything."

Wizard Yis then revealed the truth, including the Wizard Family's conspiracy and their violation of the rules. The Wizard Freshmen present immediately erupted in righteous indignation, and some even began cursing aloud.

"These Wizard Family freshmen went too far! They're utterly vile—they deserved to die!"

"Lord Yis, you killed them well! Those bastards should have been killed!"

Wizard Yis continued, "With my permission, Wang Ya-Harak acted as the Executor and killed the Wizard Freshmen who violated the rules, including Island Freshmen who came into contact with Wizard Family freshmen and indirectly caused the deaths of others."

The freshmen: "..."

The curses instantly fell silent. Even their righteous indignation was like a fire doused with a basin of cold water.

There were simply too many people who had been in contact with the Wizard Family freshmen. Some of them had even attended the Welcome Party.

Wait, who was Wang Ya-Harak? Wizard Yis had actually said he was the Executor who killed most of the freshmen?!

The Wizard Freshmen present all became shocked and curious.

Wang Ya remained expressionless, but a trace of gloom surfaced in his eyes. He had not expected Wizard Yis to reveal these matters publicly.

"I hope this incident has made you understand that rules are meant to be obeyed, not violated," Wizard Yis said blandly.

"Under the check and balance of rules, actions beneficial to the Umbral Expanse must be rewarded, while harmful actions such as breaking the rules must be punished."

"By order of the Umbral Expanse headquarters, Wang Ya-Harak is awarded free advanced study in one Supernatural Discipline at Umbral Wizard Academy."

At that point, Wang Ya rose decisively and gave Wizard Yis a slight bow. "Thank you, Lord Yis."

Yet inwardly, he understood the essence of the Wizard World even more clearly.

He was not strong enough. No matter how Wizard Yis used him, Wizard Yis could bear the consequences and price.

No—this was not using him.

It was using him as a tool.

Yet an inexplicable fire rose in his heart, along with a single thought: to make Wizard Yis unable to bear that price.

The feeling of being beyond his own control was truly awful.

He sat back down, his eyes dark and shadowed.

Not yet. He needed to become stronger, to make that day come sooner and sooner.

The minds of the freshmen present buzzed as though something had exploded within them, and every gaze converged on Wang Ya.

Their eyes were filled with shock. What a joke—he was Wang Ya-Harak? The person who had killed so many freshmen was actually a freshman himself?!